A Brief New World
by revan86
Summary: AU: Sometimes, you discover the one you've known the longest is the one who knows you best. Based on the What-If by MasakoX, this story shows how things would change if Goku had married Bulma instead of Chi-Chi after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.
1. Friends Long Lost, Now Found

_Author's Note: Welcome to "A Brief New World", a Goku/Bulma AU of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z! I recently discovered a wonderful channel for any Dragon Ball fan, MasakoX's channel on YouTube. For those of you who don't know, MasakoX is the voice actor for Goku and Gohan in Dragon Ball Z Abridged and, like all of Team Four Star, he is also a damn fine analyst of Dragon Ball. I found his "What if Goku Married Bulma" series on the channel and I was hooked instantly. I have long been a Goku/Bulma shipper, and this What-If got the gears churning, and reawoke the dormant wanna-be fanfic author in me that had been quiet for more than 10 years._

_This won't be a direct adaptation of Masako's What-If: I will be doing my own thing for certain portions of the story. However, the core and outline is his, so I want to make sure to give him the credit he is due. Keeping doing you Masako, you are a true inspiration!_

_Anyway, onto what you are all here for: __**A Brief New World!**_

**Chapter 1: Friends Long Lost, Now Found**

In spite of what one would expect, Bulma had always loved the rain.

Even as a kid, she had looked forward to rainy days over sunny ones. Now, make no mistake, she loved being out in the warm sun too, but there was something about the sound of falling rain that brought a sense of calm to the young woman.

_Maybe it's just the romantic in me_, she thought as she walked through the rain outside the grounds of the Tenkaichi Budokai. _I've always enjoyed snuggling up with a good book, drinking something warm, and thinking about my next invention while listening to the rain._

"Man," said a voice from beside Bulma, breaking her out of her reverie. "I have never seen so few people around here! It's usually _way _busier by now!"

Bulma looked down towards the speaker, her good friend Oolong the pig. Like Bulma, he held an umbrella over his head, and sharing the umbrella with him was Puar, the blue-furred companion of Yamcha, her second oldest friend.

"That's just because of the rain," said Puar. "Everyone is inside. Once the skies close up, they'll come back out."

"Oh," said a quiet feminine voice behind Bulma, "that's too bad. I kind of liked the smaller crowd." Launch brought up the rear of their little party, also keeping herself dry under the shadow of an umbrella.

"I can't imagine the fighters would like it to be raining during the Budokai, though," Bulma noted. "At least, not once they are fighting in the main arena."

Launch dropped her eyes to the ground, losing herself in thought. "Oh, I suppose that's true. I'd guess it can't be fun to fight in the rain. You'd always be slipping around."

The group continued to discuss the downpour, but Bulma's mind drifted away as she took in the sights and sounds of the Tenkaichi Budokai grounds. The stone pillars and dragons remained where they always had been, just as overwrought and tacky as ever. But that was part of the charm of the place. It tried so hard to look like an old Shaolin Temple. From what Krillin had told her in the past, it didn't really succeed.

Outside of maybe her home, there was no place in the world Bulma loved more than the Tenkaichi Budokai grounds. While she was certainly no fighter herself, some of her best memories were here, watching her closest friends fight. She couldn't wait to see them again, as she knew they all planned to attend. She had just had lunch with Yamcha the other week, so she knew for sure he was attending. He had been in contact with Krillin and Tien as well, so he could confirm that those two should be competing as well along with Chiaotzu.

_And then_, Bulma thought, _there's Goku_. Her oldest (and deepest) friend, Bulma hadn't seen the young fighter in close to three years, ever since he went off to train with Kami. _I would expect to see him here today_, she thought. _He'd never miss the tournament. _With that thought, a surge of unabashed joy flowed through Bulma. Bulma could hardly believe that it had been nearly 7 years since the first time she had met the boy… and promptly shot him in the face. Bulma smiled at the memory. _Not a great start to our friendship_, she thought.

It had taken a while, but eventually Goku's earnestness and naivete had won over Bulma, and she had come to enjoy traveling the world with him, looking for the Dragon Balls. _Things sure were different then, _Bulma thought. They had been looking for things so youthfully and innocently selfish that Bulmafelt a flush come to her face thinking about them even now, all those years later. _I wanted a lifetime supply of strawberries, and then I wanted a perfect boyfriend… Kami, I was every bit as naive as Goku. And I thought I was so mature..._ Through that adventure, Bulma met many of the people who would become her closest friends. _I wonder what my life would be like now if I hadn't met Goku that day_, Bulma mused. _A lot emptier, I expect. More predictable, maybe. But who the hell wants predictable?_

Bulma caught a quick glance of the main arena, where the final three rounds of the Budokai would take place. Her memory flashed to Goku's first battle in that arena, against the monstrous Giran, and remembered her amazement at his skill. _I had known he was a good fighter, _she thought, _but something changed then. He had always been so carefree and scatterbrained. In that first tournament, he was like a totally different person. He was focused, motivated._

Her mind then went through all of Goku's the battles in that arena. His battles with Jackie Chun, with Krillin, but most of all, his battle with Tien Shinhan in the finals in the last tournament. _That fight was like nothing I had ever seen before. Goku was pushed to his absolute limit, and pushed Tien to __**his**__, and Goku __**should**__ have won that fight._ The way it ended still brought frustration to Bulma. It had been particularly galling at the time, because Tien had been so cruel and… well… _evil_ up until the end of his fight with Goku. It just felt wrong for Goku, who fought purely for the joy of fighting, to be beaten by someone who had been trained to use his abilities in such monstrous ways. But Goku had once again done the impossible, and won the three-eyed warrior over. As he seemed to do with everyone he met. _Yamcha and Puar started as our enemies, too_, Bulma noted. _Hell, I even half-expected him to turn King Piccolo back from evil._

The thought of the fierce Demon King sent a cold shiver down Bulma's spine. It had been nearly three years to the day since he made his presence known, sending his minions in search of the Dragon Balls, and killing Krillin in the process. On that day, Bulma saw something she never thought could be in the young warrior's eyes: rage. _I had never seen him so angry before. It was… frightening_. Bulma hadn't been around for much of the subsequent adventure, hiding with many others as King Piccolo had nearly conquered the Earth. But she knew Goku had been the one to stop him. Tien had told her how he killed Demon King with a blow that went literally through the despot. And then, he had used the Dragon Balls to bring back everyone who had been killed by King Piccolo and his men. _How far __**he's**__ come since that day I found him, too, _she thought. _Noble, self-sacrificing. Always considering others, rather than himself. Not at all the naive wild child I met._ She smiled. _But then again, we've all grown._

Bulma began thinking of her other friends. Krillin had once been an arrogant, self-centered jerkass as a kid, but the events of intervening years (particularly dying and being brought back to life) had mellowed him out greatly. She know new him to be a kind-hearted man who wore his emotions on his sleeve. It was a pleasant change.

Her mind then turned to her closest friend other than Goku: Yamcha. She had known him almost as long as she had known Goku, ever since they had made the fortuitous error of traveling through his territory in the desert. He had proven to be a thorn in their side throughout that first journey. But in the end, his good-hearted nature won out, and he became one Goku and Bulma's most loyal friends. It had taken a while, but eventually Bulma even helped him get over his fear of individuals of the opposite sex.

_That had been quite the undertaking, _Bulma ruminated. _Just getting him to talk to me and spend time with just me was a fight those first few years_.

Many of the rest of the group had long thought Bulma and Yamcha would make a good couple. _No doubt, there had been some level of attraction there, but… it just never felt right_. The two often met and spoke, usually over lunch at one of Bulma's favorite cafes in the city. During one of those meetings, the two had a long conversation about the nature of their relationship, and how it never developed into something more. During this conversation, Bulma learned why Yamcha had never asked her out. A slightly sad smile came over Bulma at the memory.

"_You've helped me to grow so much. I couldn't be in the same room with girls when I met you. Now look at me! Sitting and eating lunch with you! Why would I risk the friendship we have when I know you are more interested in someone else?"_

"_Huh? In someone else?"_

"_Yeah. I mean, it's pretty obvious."_

"_But… who do you think I'm interested in?"_

"_if you don't realize it yet, I'm not gonna tell you. I'll let you figure that out yourself."_

"Look over there!"

Puar's voice quickly drew Bulma out of her reverential mood. Bulma looked ahead, and saw an old man in a black suit standing by the entrance to the old temple. Bulma could just barely make out the white goatee on his face. There was only one person it could possibly be.

"Master Roshi!" Bulma called.

Of course, she already knew he was here. After all, Oolong and Launch lived with the lecherous old man.

_I still can't believe Launch actually co-exists with the creep._ Bulma thought. She loved the old man dearly, but certainly wouldn't _live_ with him…

Bulma ran up to the Master of the Turtle School of martial arts, and gave him a big hug. Surprisingly, he gave her a totally chaste hug back. No handsiness whatsoever. _A pleasant surprise_, Bulma thought.

"It's so good to see you again!"

"You too Bulma. I think you've grown even lovelier since we last saw each other!"

_Ah, that's more like it, _Bulma thought. Bulma felt the honest smile on her face turn wry. It was a sweet compliment, but she knew better than to call attention to it, lest he push it beyond the innocent level.

"So, Master Roshi," Bulma said, changing the subject. "Planning on entering the tournament again this year?"

A rueful laugh came over the old martial arts sensei. "Naw, not this year. At this point, I can't hold a candle to my students. They've well surpassed me."

Bulma knew how much that admission had to cost Roshi. He had entered the last two tournaments in an attempt to keep his students humble. He had won the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, defeating Goku on a technicality. However, the next year, he had been surprisingly defeated by Tien. And then, he had _died_ trying to stop King Piccolo. The same King Piccolo who had been later killed by Goku. _It can't be easy. He must have spent decades as the strongest person in the world. And now, he might 4th or 5th._ But Bulma also saw the pride and joy in Roshi's face. _But to know that your lessons have been learned as well as they have by 3 brilliant students, isn't that what being a sensei is all about?_

"Besides," Roshi continued happily, "I didn't want Goku to win that first year because I wanted him to keep training. At this point, I think I know him well enough to know that he'll keep training no matter what happens in some silly tournament. It's what he lives for!"

Bulma couldn't help but smile at that. _Yeah, that sounds about right. I don't think Goku has any room in his brain for anything but fighting and training. Oh, and eating, I suppose._

"My balloon!"

Bulma's thoughts were broken by the cry of a young girl nearby. Looking over, she saw the girl chasing after a helium balloon that had escaped her. Luckily, it had gotten stuck in a tree. Bulma walked over to the girl, the rest of the group following behind her. She didn't see any sign of parents around. _Typical. Probably too busy drinking or talking to notice their daughter running off after her balloon._

Bulma looked more closely at the girl. She was clearly upset, tears just visible on her face in the pouring rain. Bulma felt her heart melt a little. _Poor thing, she has to be freezing, too._

"Hi, there, sweetie. Do you need some help getting that down?"

The girl looked up at Bulma. She couldn't have been more than 6. _Kami, who lets a child this young run off on their own?_ The girl nodded shyly at Bulma, clearly nervous, but also hopeful that this grown up would help her. _Damn right I will!_ Bulma reached out for the stray balloon, but it remained agonizingly just out of her grasp.

"Hmm… can't…quite…_reach_…" Bulma thought furiously how to get the balloon. _Hmm, Launch isn't any taller than I am, Roshi is shorter, and Oolong is even short… hold on a second! _ Bulma turned to her companions. "Hey, Oolong, think you could help me out here?"

The pig furrowed his brow in annoyance. "Now just wait a minute! If you can't reach it, how in the world do you expect me to be able to do it?"

Bulma cocked her head, mildly annoyed. "I mean, you can transform can't you? Couldn't you, like, turn into a ladder or something?"

Oolong looked up at his umbrella, an irritated look on his face. "Oh, come on. Really? You want me to turn into a ladder so you can walk all over me?" he said combatively. "Besides, my magic is a little rusty, I haven't used it much the past couple of years. Not sure I would make a very good ladder!"

Bulma felt her temper beginning to rise. "Ugh, useless pig. You'd be more valuable to us as bacon!" As Oolong began to complain about Bulma's lack of tact, Bulma contemplated, beginning to consider other possible options. There was no way she was going to leave without getting this girl her balloon! Her eyes fixed onto the bright blue fur of Puar. She suddenly smiled brightly. "Well, you're not the only one here who can transform! How about you, Puar?"

The small creature looked slightly ashamed. "Sorry, no can do. Transformation just makes me bigger, not heavier or stronger. Just because I turn into a ladder doesn't mean I would be able to support all your weight…" Realization suddenly struck Puar, his eyes going wide and his face losing all color. "Wait… no… I didn't mean…uh...!"

Bulma's face turned red and she suddenly found herself shouting in absolute fury, her temper boiling over in a flash. "WHAT THE HELL'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, YOU LITTLE FURBALL?! ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT?!"

Puar quickly took cover behind Oolong, looking to escape Bulma's wrath in panic. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything!..."

"...Because I'll have you know I happen to have a very delicate figure!" Bulma continued, her vanity getting the better of her, as usual. Bulma knew she was massively overreacting. But Puar had hit one of her trigger buttons. Bulma was very self-conscious about her weight. Hell, Bulma knew she had even _lost_ a little weight recently, what with forgetting meals while working on her scientific projects. Not that _they_ needed to know that…

Master Roshi's head suddenly popped up from where it had been previously held in deep thought. "Oh, I know!"

Bulma turned to her friends' old sensei, cocking her head to the side. "Oh, what's your idea, Master Roshi?"

"I could give you a boost, and then you could reach out and grab the balloon!" he said, stepping forward and stretching his arms out to assist. Bulma was just about ready to agree, when a thought passed through her mind. _Yeah, he'll give me boost all right...so that he can grab my ass and look up my skirt, the dirty old man!_ Bulma thought darkly. She gave the old pervert a baleful glare. He began to back away slowly.

"Ah… he… Yes? No?... Eh, maybe?..." Bulma could hear the fear in his voice as he spoke, the words growing softer with each passing syllable.

"Not chance, you perv," she said coldly.

"Just… tryin' to help, heh-heh..." Master Roshi backed all the way up behind Oolong as well, leaving the pig to be the closest one to the still agitated young scientist. "Hey wait a minute, why are you guys hiding behind me?! _I'm_ the one she threatened to make into breakfast earlier!"

The trio began to argue amongst themselves, with Launch still behind them, concerned at how quickly things seemed to have gotten out of hand. "Oh, my… please don't act this way in front of the little girl, she's already pretty upset...:"

Bulma continued to stew, her mind racing, frustrated by the fact that she couldn't quite reach the balloon. _Ugh, why is everyone so useless!? Damn it, where are Tien or Yamcha when you __**really**_ _need them? Hell, I would even take Goku. I bet he could use his Power Pole, at least, even if he would be too short to reach it._ Her mind was so focused on finding a solution that she never even noticed when a tall figure stopped behind her, reached up, and grabbed the balloon from where it was stuck on the branch. When the figure spoke, she was caught completely off-guard.

"Hey everybody!" a bright, youthful, but clearly masculine voice rang out. Bulma quickly turned around, and saw before her a tall young man dressed in a blue tunic shirt and a pale yellow _gi_. His face was covered by an umbrella, but Bulma had a sneaking suspicion that it would prove quite pleasant to look at, judging by the jawline she could see under the umbrella. There was a sash around his chest, which appeared to be holding a staff on the young man's back. _Huh, that staff almost looks like… Nah, it must just be imagination._

Meanwhile, Oolong, Puar and Master Roshi had finally stopped their squabbling and also turned to face the newcomer.

"Bulma, is this a friend of yours?" Master Roshi asked, stroking his beard.

Bulma at first started to answer in the negative, but something about the way the young man was standing sparked a level of familiarity in Bulma. _Why do I feel like I've meet him before?_

"I… don't think so, no…?"

The figure handed the balloon to Bulma. "Here you go, Bulma."

Bulma almost let go of the balloon in pure shock. "Wha?! How do you know my name?"

The man laughed. It was bright and clear, and intensely pleasant, filled with warmth and obvious affection, completely void of meanness and mockery. _I've only heard one person laugh like that, _Bulma thought, _but… it couldn't be…_

"Of course I know your name, Bulma! How could I possibly forget my oldest friend?" the man spoke, the laughter still in his voice, his mouth in an enormous grin. "Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, Launch, it's good to see you all too! Where are Krillin and the others? I was hoping to see them before the tournament starts!" 

Bulma's mouth opened in total shock. _It can't be anyone else! It has to be…_

…"Goku…?" she asked quietly, hardly believing her eyes.

"Whaa?!" 

"No!"

"It can't be!"

The rest of group gave shocked exclamations at Bulma's pronouncement, but Bulma felt quite certain she was correct.

For the first time, she heard a slight hesitation in the young man's voice. "Well, I mean, yeah! Who else would I be?"

_But how? He hadn't grown a single inch in all our adventures together before! _Bulma thought, remembering the boy she had come to know so well.

She felt a slight tug at her pants. "Excuse me," a tiny voice said. Bulma looked down, and saw the little girl looking up at here with an expectant expression on his face. "May I please have my balloon?" she asked adorably.

"Oh, of course." Bulma said, handing the balloon to the young girl. "Here you go. Now, go find your parents, okay?"

"Okay!" the child exclaimed, running back towards the tents. The drops into the puddles around her seemed to be slowing down.

The young man looked up at the sky. "Ah, looks like the rain is finally starting to let up."

As the finally stopped, he withdrew his umbrella. For the first time, Bulma could see him clearly. The first thing that stood out was, well, the hair.

It was black, spikey, and unkempt. _And exactly in the way Goku's always was!_

He laughed, pointing at his wild hair. "See, who else in the world has hair like this?"

Bulma took a moment to fully appraise her old friend's new appearance. _He… he really grew up!_ Bulma thought.

He had grown significantly in the past three years. If she had to guess, he was probably taller than Yamcha now, though she suspected Tien might still have an inch or two on him. The muscles on his arms were wiry, but taut and toned attractively. Bulma looked into her friend's face, and when she did, her breath caught in her chest.

Her first instinct about the looks of the young man had been correct. Goku had developed into a remarkably handsome man. His face no longer carried the softness of youth. His cheeks and jaw were well-defined and striking. _But it's his eyes…_ Bulma thought, _his eyes are still filled with the innocence and life that he had as a child._

There was no doubt in her mind anymore. _This is Goku!_

Tears began running down her face, but her face broke into a massive smile as Bulma charged toward the young man. "Goku!" she cried out, as she leapt towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

Goku gave a grunt of surprise as the woman collided with him with surprising force. "Oof, careful Bulma!" he said, wrapping his arms around her waist as the momentum carried him around, spinning once, holding Bulma tight to him as he did.

_This feels…strange_, Bulma thought as she spun through the air in Goku's arms. Being held in Goku's embrace… it was a feeling she never expected to feel. From the day they had met, Bulma had always been taller. _But, it also seems right,_ she thought. Goku's arms were strong, his embrace warm. Bulma wanted him to never let go. Her eyes locked with his for a moment, and Bulma felt a surge travel through her body, an electricity like she had never felt before.

Goku stopped spinning, but continued to hold her for a moment, almost as if _he_ didn't want the moment to end either. Bulma was the first to speak. "Goku, I've… I've really missed you," she said, trying to bring her emotions under control and speak to the feelings she had within.

Softly, she heard Goku's reply whispered into her ear. "I've missed you too, Bulma," he said.

Slowly the pair broke away from the embrace. Bulma could feel the heat in her cheeks from a furious blush. _Oh, Kami, what in the world was that?_ _I mean, sure I missed him, but that was… a little excessive._

She suddenly saw Goku's gaze focused on her face, a concerned look on his face. _What is he looking at?_

"Goku, what is it?"

"Bulma! What happened?!" Goku said, pointing to her lips. "Your lips are bleeding! Let me wipe it off!"

Goku moved forward with his thumb to wipe the lipstick off Bulma's face. And instantly, Bulma's temper was re-triggered. "No you idiot!" she exclaimed, pushing Goku's hands away from her face. "It's not blood, it's lipstick!"

Goku slowly stepped away, taken aback by the outburst. "Lipstick? What's lipstick?"

Bulma sighed, still irritated at the denseness of the man who just absolutely proved he was Goku, but also at herself. _Really, Bulma? You just had a lovely (if odd) moment with him, and now you are already biting his head off because he didn't know what __**lipstick **__is?_ "Sorry for snapping at you, Goku. Lipstick is something girls wear to make themselves look pretty."

Goku got a confused look on his face. "But… you always look pretty Bulma. Why would you need to wear something like that?"

Bulma felt herself begin blushing again. _He thinks I'm pretty? Why does that thought make me so happy?_

Master Roshi walked up beside her, and gave Goku an appraising look. "Well, Goku. Looks like you finally grew up a bit, eh?"

Goku began scratching his head in the way he always did. "Heh, yeah! I sure did! It happened a few months into training with Kami!"

As the others began crowding around Goku, Bulma began to consider her reaction to Goku's return. _What is going on? Why am I acting like I am with Goku? I'm acting like a school girl with a crush… And I certainly don't feel like that about Goku._

She paused at that thought. _I mean, I don't think I do. _She took another look at the fighter, now showing off for Puar and Oolong. _My god, he did become quite handsome, though_. She couldn't help but look at his tightly wound muscles, and his wonderfully masculine face. _I mean, he kind of looks like the kind of man I've always dreamed about, and I know he's a good person. We've always had fun travelling together…_

"Looks like we're the last ones to get here," a familiar voice said behind her.

Turning around, Bulma saw four familiar figures walking up towards them, the sun beginning to cast a reddish glow as it set in the west.

Krillin, Chiatzou, Tien Shinhan, and Yamcha had arrived. _Well, the gang's all here, now._

As the quartet walked up, Krillin saw Goku, and his eyes opened with shock. "G...GOKU?! Is that you?!"

Goku's face broke into a massive smile at the sound of his friend's voice. "Krillin! I'm so glad to see you! A part of me always worried that you didn't actually come back after the wish, but Kami assured me that you were alive!"

_Right, _Bulma thought. _Goku hasn't actually __**seen**__ Krillin since he was resurrected._ Goku had pretty much gone straight to training with Kami after fighting King Piccolo. It had been there, upon Kami's Lookout atop Korrin Tower, that the Dragon Balls had been restored, and everyone killed by King Piccolo and his men returned to life.

"Goku, it's so good to see you, too!" Krillin shouted, running to his training partner and best friend. _Goku is a lot of people's best friend_, Bulma mused. "Wow! You sure have gotten bigger!"

"Yeah!" Goku said, the biggest grin on his face. "But it looks like you're still the same, Krillin!"

Krillin's face dropped at that statement. "Jeez, thanks Goku. I had no idea that I'm still really short. No one's ever pointed that out to me…" Krillin looked pointedly at Yamcha, who simply began to laugh. Bulma also grinned. _He never misses a chance to take a crack at Krillin's height_. "Anyway," Krillin continued, "everyone told me what you did after I… well…"

"Died," Tien said, completely deadpan.

"Keep it down over there! I'm trying to have a moment, here," Krillin yelled back. So, I just want to say, thanks Goku. I wouldn't be here without you, buddy!"

Goku's look turned serious. "I was glad to do it Krillin. I knew I _had_ to bring you back. It was just… wrong. You and everybody else who was killed by King Piccolo. You all deserved better."

Krillin laughed. "Man, that's just like you, Goku. I wish I was half the man you are."

Bulma saw Yamcha grin, and knew he couldn't resist the perfect setup he had just been gifted. "Well, I mean, you kinda are half the man he is now, Krillin!" he quipped.

"That's it, kicking your ass now!" Krillin shouted, his face turning red as he began running after Yamcha, the former bandit laughing as he avoided every attack from the former Shaolin monk.

Tien strode up to Goku, and Bulma saw she had been correct, the tall warrior still had a couple of inches on Goku. "Just so you know, Goku, I've been training hard the past three years," Tien said, a fierce smile on his face. "I hope we get a chance at a rematch this year. I can't wait to see how far you've come since the last time we fought!"

At that, Goku matched Tien's grin with one of his own. "Yeah, me too. I look forward to seeing how strong _you've_ gotten Tien!"

Seeing that look of serious determination and excitement on Goku's face brought back memories for Bulma. _I first saw it here, _she thought. _He lives for fighting, for proving himself. When he's here, he gets to do what he loves most._ She found herself getting lost looking into Goku's dark eyes, as he began to speak with Chiaotzu about his training. Meanwhile, Krillin had given up on chasing Yamcha, and rejoined the conversation. _Goku is in his element. He looks so happy. But… why does that make __**me**__ so happy?_

Suddenly, she became aware of someone looking at her. She turned, and saw Yamcha giving her a pointed look, and a knowing smile. He then turned and walked toward Goku, and began to speak with him, as well.

Yamcha's words began to echo in Bulma's mind:

_"Why should I risk our friendship when I know you're interested in someone else?"_

Bulma's heart began to pound in her chest. _He couldn't have meant… Goku?_

"LAST CALL FOR REGISTRATION!" came the cry from the tournament registrar outside the entrance to the arena.

"Well," Goku stated. "Guess we better head on over there."

The group of five fighters began to walk over to the desk, the colors of the dying light of the setting sun casting them in a heroic light. The way the witching light bounced off Goku made him look even more handsome. Bulma again found herself staring at her friend, and feeling an electricity move through her body.

At that, the realization struck her. _I think I might actually have a crush on Goku…_

"I suppose we should start thinking about getting some tickets, eh?" Master Roshi recommended. The group of companions began walking to the box office, but Bulma stood where she was, continuing to look at Goku, unwilling to let him out of her sight until he was behind the wall of the arena.

Oolong called out to her. "C'mon, Bulma! We need to get tickets and make sure we get good seats!"

Bulma finally moved to catch up with the rest of her friends, but her mind continued to focus on figure of Goku, walking with strength and purpose, illuminated by evensun. It was a difficult image to erase from her mind.

_Oh, Kami, _she thought, her heart beating rapidly as she considered everything that had happened in the last few minutes. _Life just got a __**lot**__ more complicated..._


	2. The Calm Before

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Chapter 1! Glad you all enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!_

* * *

**Chapter 2 - The Calm Before**

The night before the start of the Tenkaichi Budokai was always an awkward, but quiet time. The energy in the atmosphere of the tournament grounds was still filled with electricity as people slept, dreaming of the incredible showcase of skill and physical mastery that would be on display all throughout the next day. The fighters all rested, preparing their minds and bodies for the grueling ordeal of the next 24 hours. While nearly 100 had registered, they all knew only a handful would advance even to the first round of the tournament proper. All knew the importance of a good night's rest.

But at least one could not find it.

Sitting on the roof of the hotel where he and his companions were staying, centering himself in a Lotus position, Son Goku looked into the light of the full moon, marveling at its beauty. It was a beauty he'd never had an opportunity to enjoy before. _I never really understood why when I was young,_ he thought. _I just thought I never happened to see a full moon_. But Kami had revealed the truth when he had permanently removed his tail.

"_Hey! Whaddya' do that for?!"_

"_I know it is difficult, but that tail is perhaps the single greatest menace on this planet now that King Piccolo is no more."_

Goku sighed at the memory. _And then, he told me everything. How I would transform at the sight of a full moon. How I would become an ape, and destroy everything I saw_. He hung his head low. _And I knew. I just… knew. I... I killed Grandpa Gohan._

One tear streaked down Goku's face as the memory of his adoptive grandfather returned. _After that, I never complained or asked him to return my tail again. I'm better off without it. _Goku then cracked a small smile. _And hey, it also means I don't have to worry about anyone grabbing it ever again, either._ That tail had always been a weakness for him, in one way or another.

Looking back up at the moon, Goku smiled as he thought on what the next day would bring. _The Tenkaichi Budokai. I've been waiting for this day for so long!_

For three years, he had undergone the most rigorous training of his life. While Master Roshi had taught him much, and well, the training he had been put through upon the Lookout had been like nothing he had ever experienced before.

_There were more than a few times, _Goku thought, _when I was positive I was gonna die!_

Mr. Popo, who had been in charge of most of his training, was a no-nonsense teacher. The lessons were difficult, but the techniques he had learned had been remarkable. _I can do things now that I could only have imagined three years ago!_

But all that training had a purpose. _King Piccolo's son,_ Goku practically spit the name out in his mind. _The one from the egg. He's here, somewhere. And I have to face him._ Goku knew he should feel anxiety at the prospect, but all he felt was profound excitement. _He'll be remarkably strong, I'm sure, and I have a feeling he'll be gunning for me just as much as I am for him._

Goku closed his eyes, reaching his senses out around him, practicing the ki-detection technique he had learned on the Lookout, seeing if he could find the demon. After a few moments, he became frustrated. He couldn't feel the malevolent energy a monster like Piccolo would be emitting. _Well, Kami did tell me he would likely try to suppress his power from detection, and I guess I'm still not experienced enough to find it if he is._

Rather than strain trying to find his destined foe, Goku chose to practice on targets a bit closer. He stretched out his mind to sense the energy of his friends below. Immediately, he was inundated with sensation. It was still an odd feeling for him, being able to detect the ki energy of living things this way. _It's not really like seeing_, Goku thought. _It's more like smell. Everyone has their own particular… scent, I guess. But it's not really smell. It's just...different._

He could feel Krillin and Tien, the auras they were emanating absolutely staggering. Especially Tien's. _He wasn't kidding_, Goku thought. _He's grown __**far**__ stronger than he was the last time we met, much less the last time we fought._ Imagining a bout with him made Goku almost giddy with excitement. _Man, I just hope I don't have to fight him in preliminaries. There's no way we could have a good fight in those tiny rings!_

As he reached out, he also found Chiaotzu's energy. The small man's aura lacked the same pressure of Tien and Krillin's, though it was still extremely strong. However, what it might have lacked in pure might, it more than made up for in color. It was vivid and bright, full of life in a way that many others lacked, even Krillin and Tien.

He reached out further, and could sense the energy of Master Roshi. _Strange, I used to think of Master Roshi as so much stronger than me, but now I can see… almost like an echo. He used to be far greater than he is now. He's still strong, but I think his body is beginning to betray him. _This thought gave Goku pause. _I suppose that is what happens to all of us, eventually. But, hopefully not to me for a long time!_

Extending his senses further, he sought to feel the energy of his non-fighter friends. He felt Launch's energy, bundled deep inside. _Huh,_ Goku thought. _She feels like she's got __**way**__ more power than I expected to find in her._ Goku had expected to find almost nothing in the girl, with her submissive personality. Goku considered for a moment, then it clicked. _Oh, right. The __**other **__Launch. That's what I'm feeling._

Launch had a split personality, that switched whenever she sneezed. Her "normal" self was the sweet, purple-haired sweetheart that he most associated with Launch. _But that other side,_ Goku thought, _is an entirely different story_. If she sneezed, Launch would become a blonde-haired, gun-toting, foul-mouthed thief who enjoyed smoking and drinking even more than Master Roshi and Oolong. _And she scares the crap out of me!_ Goku thought. _How many times has she almost killed me?! How does Master Roshi deal with living with that?_

The thought of touching that part of Launch's personality with his mind terrified Goku, so he moved on to Oolong. He could feel a modicum of power in the pig, though it feel thin and thready. _His magic. He hasn't been practicing in a while._ He also reached out and sensed Puar, that same mystical energy emanating from the furry blue creature. _Obviously in practice, though never as strong as Oolong once was. _Then, he reached the weakest energy signature of the group. _Bulma_, Goku knew.

Bulma wasn't a trained martial artist. She didn't have a brawler for a second personality, and she didn't have the benefit of magical training to compensate for her lack of physical strength. Alone of his group of friends, Bulma was just a normal person. And yet, Goku felt she was the single most important part of their little group.

_Without Bulma, none of this would have come to be,_ Goku considered. _I'd still be at the shrine at Mount Paozu, Yamcha would still be in the desert. _Goku then shivered. _Man, maybe Pilaf would even have succeeded at claiming the Dragon Balls, and making himself Emperor of the world._ At that last thought, Goku almost broke into hysterical laughter. _Okay, maybe not. But the Red Ribbon Army certainly could have collected them._

More importantly, in Goku's mind, was her mind. _She's so smart, she just knows so many things I could only dream about understanding. About people, about the world. I mean, she __**created**__ the Dragon Radar when she was my age! Heck, she was even a couple years younger than I am now!_

Goku took a moment to consider his thoughts. _And then, there's how beautiful she is..._

While feeling her energy, Goku began to recall the moment he caught sight of her again, as she reached out for the little girl's balloon. For the first time, he had noticed the supple curves of her body, the finely toned shape of her legs as she reached in her heeled shoes. _Kami had told me I might feel these things, _Goku thought. _Pyu-bur-tee he called it, I think. Something about hor-moans... ehh, I didn't really understand most of it. But he said I might… see Bulma differently than I did before._

And he did. When he saw her, he felt energy like he'd never felt before shoot through him, and it seemed to focus… well, in a place he remembered he shouldn't really bring attention to. But it seemed to _want_ to bring attention to itself. And at the most inopportune times. It was almost like having his tail again. A part of his body with a mind of its own.

Kami had told him a bit about that, too. _An erection, he called it. _Not that Goku had never had one when he was younger, but the frequency with which they occured as he began growing taller left Goku concerned. He had asked Kami if something was wrong with him. And so, Kami had been forced to tell him why it was happening. _He said it was my body's natural reaction to arousal, preparing for sex._

Goku then needed to ask Kami what "sex" was. An exasperated Guardian of the Earth then explained (in fairly significant detail) what sex was; that it was something that two people do to make one another feel pleasure, and that it was how men and women procreate. Goku had nodded diligently throughout the lesson; then he asked Kami what "procreate" meant.

At that point, Kami asked Mr. Popo to take over teaching the boy.

Goku smiled as he remembered the panicked look on Mr. Popo's face at that. It was the first time he had ever seen the djinn flustered. _He did his best,_ Goku reminisced. _But I don't think that was part of his regular duties._

Regardless, Goku had learned a bit about his body and the changes that were happening to him. During those early days, he'd often think about Bulma, about how much he missed her and wished he could see her again, and those thoughts would drive him to complete distraction. Mr. Popo was relentless in training, however, and Goku had quickly learned that those daydreams were costly. And painful. And so, he had begun to focus on mastering those emotions. By the time he'd left, he had learned to fully control his desires, and could bring them into line at a moment's notice.

At least, that's what he thought. And then, Bulma leapt into his arms.

Goku's heart began pounding quickly at the memory. Being so close to her, it was like all his training had disappeared. His desire and want for her shone through again as they swung around, her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist. Her skin where her arms had touched his neck had felt warm and soft, and she smelled wonderful, an intoxicating blend of floral scents. Her hair had fluttered around his face, tickling his cheek. Her laughter as the two spun in one another's arms rang in his ears. Nearly all of his senses had been consumed utterly in Bulma's presence. Only taste was left out; but even then, he imagined what the taste of her lips would be, _perhaps like sweet strawberries, _he thought. In that moment, he felt more satisfied, and yet more anxious than he had since… well, maybe ever.

In that moment, he had finally, fully realized the depths of his feelings for his oldest friend, and that he cared for Bulma far more than as just a friend. _But, how in Kami's name am I supposed to tell her that? What if she isn't… interested in me like that? She probably still sees me as a child..._

As he considered this terrifying reality, he came to realize there was one person whose energy he hadn't felt within the hotel. _Huh, why couldn't I sense Yamcha's energy when I felt Krillin and Tien's? He was in the same room as them..._ He spread his senses out of the hotel, and then felt it. A powerful aura, as strong as Krillin and Tien, surprisingly near him. _Directly behind me, in fact. _Goku laughed in his own mind. _Guess thinking of Bulma distracted me yet again. Mr. Popo would be quite upset with me right about now._ "How long have you been standing there, Yamcha?"

Goku could practically sense the surprise on his friend's face as he answered. "About a minute. Been up for a bit longer. Took a walk, and noticed you up here." Goku felt him begin moving toward him. "Mind if I join you?"

"No problem, Yamcha."

Yamcha walked up beside Goku, and sat in a Lotus position, much as Goku was. "So, how'd you know I was standing there? I thought I was pretty quiet."

Goku smiled a bit. "You were. It was your energy."

"My… energy," Yamcha said, doubtful.

Goku turned to the former bandit. "Yeah. Part of my training up on the Lookout was to learn how to sense people's auras. You know, like their ki."

"You can actually sense someone's ki? Wow." Yamcha considered the implications of that. "Man, that really would have come in handy on some of our adventures."

Goku nodded. "Yeah, it sure would have, huh?"

"So that explains how you knew _someone_ was there," Yamcha noted. "But how did you know it was _me_?"

"Well," Goku explained, "everybody's ki is a little different."

Yamcha's brow furrowed in confusion. "Different how? I mean, ki is ki, right?"

Goku shook his head. "No, a person's ki can tell you a lot about a person. For example, Krillin's is still and deep, but underneath, you can feel incredible destructive power when stirred from it's rest, like the sea; while Tien's is vast, cold, and completely unyielding, like a glacier."

"Huh," Yamcha grunted. "What does mine feel like?"

"Yours is…" Goku reached out to touch Yamcha's energy. "It's like a storm. Furious and relentless."

Yamcha smiled at that. "That's really cool!" Yamcha paused for a moment. "Do you know what yours is like?"

"I can't sense it myself, but Kami told me mine was like a flame, burning brightly, capable of bursting into an inferno when the conditions are right."

Yamcha broke from his pose, falling back onto the roof. "Man, Goku. Talking to you is so different now."

"Whaddya mean?" Goku wondered.

"I mean, you sound like a sensei." Yamcha said with a laugh. "I never knew your thoughts could be this deep!"

"Hey," Goku complained, "that hurts! I've been deep before! I mean there was… no, wait, that was Master Roshi… Well there was that one time… no, that was _also_ Master Roshi… um… how about when… oh, that was Baba…" Goku gave out a short laugh. "Well, I guess you might be right, Yamcha! Heh-heh!"

Both warriors started laughing at that, reveling in each other's company. They continued laughing for several minutes. Once they stopped laughing, a comfortable silence existed between the two for another several minutes, until finally Yamcha broke the silence.

"So," he said slyly, "I noticed you spent a lot of dinner watching Bulma…"

Goku's eyes went wide, panicking. "What?! No I wasn't!"

"Oh yeah you were." Yamcha said with small laugh. "You couldn't keep your eyes off her all night." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I mean, to be fair, she looked absolutely gorgeous today."

Goku gazed off into the distance, recalling the shine of the lipstick, the gentle gleam of her blue eyes, and the lovely dress she wore. Quietly he agreed, "Yeah, she looked really pretty…" Suddenly aware of what he had said, Goku began stammering, "Uh, I mean… ah… what? She did? I um… didn't notice." He did his best to appear nonchalant. Yamcha didn't buy it for a second.

"Goku, it's okay," he assured. "It's just me, your buddy, right? You don't need to deny it. You like her, don't you?"

Goku continued to try to play dumb, hoping Yamcha would drop the entire conversation. "Like her? Well, I mean yeah, she's my friend. I mean, like my oldest friend!"

Yamcha gave him a look, and said very gently, but forcefully, "No, Goku, I mean _like_ her. Like, as more than a friend."

"I… well…" Goku sighed, giving up in his attempt to move past the subject. "Yeah, I guess I kinda like her like that…"

Yamcha laughed at Goku's awkwardness. "Jeez, before it was like talking to a sensei, and suddenly you're a teenage kid again!"

"Well, I'm still a teenager, Yamcha!" Goku said, in an entirely contrarian fashion, as is the want of any teenager.

"True!" Yamcha agreed, still laughing with his friend. "The point remains, though, that it makes perfect sense that you'd be interested in Bulma. She's smart, she's beautiful, she's fun, you enjoy spending time with her." Yamcha came over to Goku and placed an arm around his shoulder. "I mean, what's not to like? She'd be a _perfect _girlfriend!"

"But," Goku uttered timidly, "are you sure? I mean, she's my best friend…"

"It will work _especially_ because she's your best friend!" Yamcha exclaimed, giving Goku a quick squeeze on the shoulder. "That actually makes it an even better match! You already know each other so well!"

"But, what if she doesn't like me that way?" Goku said, voicing his greatest concern. "What if she says she doesn't want to be more than friends?"

"Well, then you can still be just friends, right?" Yamcha responded.

"But, that won't change the way I feel about her." Goku stood up and walked slightly away from Yamcha, looking out towards the Budokai grounds, his mind filled with worry and doubt. "And she'd know how I feel. What if she feels awkward around me after that? What if she doesn't want to spend time with me anymore?" Tears began to fill Goku's eyes at the thought. _I couldn't live with that, _he thought. _I'd rather not say anything than not have her as a friend anymore._

Yamcha walked back towards Goku, completely understanding his plight. "Yeah, it's always a risk, asking out someone you like." He gave a slightly wan smile. "I mean, think about me, Goku! Before I met you guys, I couldn't even _look _at girls without having a nervous breakdown!"

Goku gave out a quick laugh. _Yeah, there were a few times Bulma took advantage of **that** on that first adventure for the Dragon Balls. _"That's true, I guess. But I'm not sure I wanna take that chance. Bulma's too important to me as my friend."

Yamcha nodded. "_Believe_ me, I know how _exactly _you feel on that count Goku." His voice turned serious in an instant. "But also believe me, holding those kind of feelings in isn't going to help either."

Goku looked back at Yamcha, confusion on his face. "What does that mean, Yamcha?"

Yamcha gained a pensive look on his face. "Trust me, feeling those kinds of feelings, but not saying anything, not letting them out? All that's gonna do is poison the relationship." He looked Goku in the eyes, and Goku could see an old pain in his eyes. A pain that had mostly healed, but still stung occasionally. "Eventually, remembering those feelings will hurt too much, so _you_ will be the one to avoid _her,_ to make sure you don't feel them anymore. And I don't think you want that either, do you Goku?"

Goku shook his head vigorously. _I don't know if I could handle __**that**__, either. Actually not __**wanting **__to spend time with Bulma…_ Goku shuddered at the very thought of it.

Yamcha gave Goku a knowing smile. "Besides, take my word on this one, Goku. I kinda have a feeling she won't say no."

Goku's heart suddenly began beating faster. "Really?" _She'd… she'd say yes?!_

"Really," Yamcha affirmed calmly and assuredly. "Just call it… a hunch." He gave Goku a small wink.

_Yamcha thinks she'd say yes! And he knows her better than anyone!_ "Okay. Thanks, Yamcha." Goku took a deep breath. "Maybe, after the Budokai, I'll talk to her."

Yamcha gave Goku a strong pat on the back. "Good. If you need any help on what to say, feel free to ask me. I'd be glad to help."

"Thank you," Goku said. _It's been way too long since I've had a chance to talk with Yamcha. He's always got such great ideas. We haven't really seen each other in a long, long time. _Goku and Yamcha stood alongside each other in silence for a while, Yamcha still with his arm around the younger fighter's back. Goku looked back out towards the tournament grounds. Suddenly, thought struck Goku. "Hey, Yamcha. How long d'ya think it is before morning?"

"Hmm, if I had to guess," the ex-bandit said, "I'd say maybe an hour or so." He sighed at the realization. "Not really enough time to get back to sleep, damn it." Yamcha bowed his head in frustration. "Man, and I was telling myself, _this_ year I wouldn't stay up too late before the tournament…"

"Hey, at least you got _some _sleep," Goku said with a quick laugh. "Anyway, I was thinking, even though we're both students of the Turtle School, we've never really had the chance to train together that much, have we?"

Yamcha looked up in thought. "No, I suppose we haven't." He gave a little shrug. "It just never quite worked out. You were always off on an adventure, or doing some other training."

Goku gave a wild, mischievous grin, turning himself to face Yamcha. "So, you up for a little sparring match?"

Yamcha looked surprised at his old friend. "Are you serious? Now? Right before the Budokai?"

Goku's smile didn't diminish. "Yeah! Why not? It's not like we'll go all out, and it'll help warm up our bodies for the actual fights in the tournament!" Goku jumped down off the roof, land softly as a cat as his did. He walked to the field just on the other side of the street from the hotel. "C'mon…" Goku begged, plaintively, "Let's have some fun! This field by the hotel will be perfect!"

Yamcha couldn't help but begin laughing. "You know what, I know this is probably a bad idea, but to hell with it!" Yamcha also jumped down from the roof, and took a place on the field opposite his fellow Turtle School student. "You're on, Goku!"

As the two men took their stances, Goku's smile turned broad and free. _This is what the Budokai is all about! _As they waited for one another to make the first move, the first morning bird gave it's cry to welcome the day. At that sound, both men charged forth, welcoming the morn in their own way. The first blow struck with a furious crack that sent the birds in the nearby trees away in an explosion of feathers and wings.

As he sparred with Yamcha, Goku felt the worries of the coming day begin to disappear; his upcoming struggle with Piccolo, the fear of revealing his feelings for Bulma; all melted away as he lost himself in the fight. _Let the rest wait. __**This**__ is what I truly live for._

The sound of the fray echoed through the streets of the city, sounding for all the world like a clash of mythical titans.

* * *

As the sun began to rise on the Tenkaichi Budokai grounds, it found many people already up and about, preparing for the coming event.

The cooks were busy in the kitchen, preparing the food that would be provided to the fighters, free of charge. They were extra busy that morning, as the head chef recognized on of the names of the participants with horror: _Son Goku_. He had literally eaten the kitchen out of food in previous years, and the head chef wasn't going to allow that to happen again! He shouted at his crew, reminding them of the disasters of the last two tournaments. They remembered as well, and quickly snapped to business.

The cleaning staff had been working extra hard to make sure the festivities of the previous day were clean, and the stall workers made sure they were stocked and ready for another busy day of sales and concessions.

Attendants were busy drying and shining the bright, white stone of the arena floor, trying to ensure that the footing for the fighters would be solid after the previous day's rain. The last thing the tournament committee wanted was for one of the fighters to slip and blow out a knee during the final rounds of the tournament. It had happened before, and neither the fighter nor their opponent were often happy.

Outside the arena, there were already people walking the grounds, taking in the sights and sounds of the tournament, excited for the thrilling martial arts action that was sure to follow soon.

Hundreds of people, from all walks of life, all milling about, like the clockwork of life.

_Scurrying like ants_, a figure standing atop the temple that was the centerpiece of the tournament grounds thought. _Pathetic, miserable ants who have no idea how meaningless and unimportant their existence truly is._

The tall figure had no need of sleep, and so had spent the night in deep meditation, stoking the fire of his disdain for the world. As the early morning winds began to move through the Tenkaichi Budokai grounds, his white cape began to flutter around him.

The green-skinned warrior named Piccolo overlooked the site, and knew it belonged to him. As did the whole world.

_How quickly these worthless insects forget,_ he thought. _Just three years ago, they cowered in fear as my… _his thoughts stopped momentarily as he considered exactly what King Piccolo was to him. _Father is probably the closest term, but it isn't quite right, _he thought. _Perhaps predecessor, that might be better… well, as King Piccolo had taken his rightly place as their god-king._

Piccolo had been born from the egg that King Piccolo had spit out after being dealt a lethal blow. He was King Piccolo reborn, and even held many of King Piccolo's memories. _Particularly the more recent memories_, Piccolo thought. He only had vague recollections of the more distant memories. King Piccolo had been centuries old, perhaps even millenia. The people of Earth thought of him as a demon. Piccolo knew differently. Though he remembered none of the details, one fact he knew without any doubt: King Piccolo and Kami (curse his name) had come from another world.

_A world even more pathetic and worthless than this one_, Piccolo thought. _Why else would that nameless being have left?_

As he watched a pair of workers do some last minute touch-ups to the facade of the temple, Piccolo thought more of why he was here. Not just at the tournament. Why he existed at all.

_Son Goku,_ he thought, a dark expression coming to his face. _The little brat who somehow killed King Piccolo._

The one thought that echoed through Piccolo's mind through his time in the egg, and the three years he spent growing rapidly to full size and strength, echoed still in his mind, the one command from King Piccolo: _Vengeance_.

_I am the instrument of my predecessor's revenge_, Piccolo mused. _His insurance policy, his promise of death to any who opposed him._

And more than any other foe, Piccolo had fixated on Son Goku. The very thought that some pathetic, worthless, insignificant human had managed to kill the rightful king of the world galled the green-skinned warrior. _He should have been bowing before someone so obviously his better. Hell, he should have been dead! King Piccolo struck a blow to him that he should never have been able to survive!_

Piccolo intended to learn how Son Goku had managed to survive the attack, and how he had grown so much stronger in so short a time. _I will learn his secret, and I will destroy the source of that power. Of course, not until I have made an example of him._

After all, that was why Piccolo had come. He didn't give a damn about winning the tournament, or the prize money, or glory, or any of it. He had one single purpose: to utterly destroy Son Goku. _I'll defeat him, and kill him here, where everyone can see it. Their precious hero and savior, dead by my hands. And once he's out of the way, no one will have the strength or the will to stand against me, not even that pathetic coward Kami_, Piccolo thought, a wicked smile coming to his face. _And then, at long last, this world will bow to me: Piccolo, the rightful God-King of the Earth!_

He began to laugh, and the echoes carried throughout the grounds, sounding for all the world like the howl of the damned.

* * *

_A/N: So, I really struggled about going the places I did with the Goku scene at the beginning. But ultimately, I enjoyed the contrast with the Bulma material in Chapter 1. And, I mean, c'mon. Talking about sex-ed with Kami. Too hilarious to cut._

_As a note to the couple of reviewers who asked for possible citrus flavor in later chapters: sorry, but not gonna happen. I am garbage at writing smut, and I've found that fics that include it tend to become all about it, even if they didn't intend to start that way. Not that I won't deal with the __**concept**__ of sex, I'm just not going to write detailed descriptions of it._

_This was the last chapter of set-up. The preliminaries of the Tenkaichi Budokai will begin with Chapter 3. Chapter Four will then be the start of the Budokai proper!_


	3. New Challengers, New Rivals

_A/N: Again, thank you all for reading and reviewing! I have been amazed at the number of follows and favorites I have from just 2 chapters! I apologize for the long wait to Chapter 3, work and classes have kept me swamped, and I spent a long, long time fighting to find Yamcha's voice and make it distinct from Goku's. Not sure I quite got it perfectly, but I eventually found something I could work with. Without further ado, please enjoy the third chapter of "A Brief New World"!_

**Chapter 3 - New Challengers, New Rivals**

The sun was now making its way high into the sky, as mid-morning began to take hold within the grounds of the Tenkaichi Budokai. All the registered fighters began making their way towards the temple, ready to begin the long journey to being named "Greatest Under Heaven". They had come from all over the world, from big cities to small villages. Some had come to stoke their own ego, some to become filthy rich. Some came to bring honor to their school, and others to provide for their families and communities. A few had even come to settle a grudge.

But for a select few, they came for one reason only: to test the limits of their skills against others. Victory was secondary to these warriors; a loss to a worthy foe was an acceptable outcome.

For the five companions that referred to themselves as the Dragon Team, this was their goal. Goku, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu cared little for prize money or glory. It was the battle itself that called to their blood.

In previous years, the group had often entered the building that housed the preliminaries of the Tenkaichi Budokai with little-to-no recognition. After all, in the past they hadn't been seemed precisely intimidating.

_But this year_, Yamcha thought, hearing the whispers around them as they entered, _it seems people actually know who we are_.

The five were now almost living legends among the competitors of the tournament. All 5 had at least reached the quarter-finals once in their careers. _Krillin has made two consecutive semi-finals, Goku is a two-time runner-up, and Tien is the defending champ. And I'm just the guy who lost in the quarters to the eventual champion two years in a row..._

The memories of those losses still stung. He had been over-confident the first year. Jackie Chun, _aka Master Roshi (CALLED IT!_ Yamcha thought), had made Yamcha look like an absolute fool. The next year, after having trained in the Turtle Style, had been a better showing, but a more painful defeat, as Tien had knocked him out cold, and broken his leg out of pure spite. _Hard to believe I now consider Tien one of my best friends after that…_

Most of the whispers of the fighters were regarding Goku and Tien. _No surprise there_, Yamcha thought. _Their showdown in the last Tenkaichi Budokai had been like nothing anyone had ever seen._ Yamcha was upset he had been unable to witness it himself, as he had been taken to the hospital after his fight with Tien. _But that's not the only reason they are mentioning Goku, _he considered.

A common phrase he heard in regards to Goku was "King Piccolo". Thanks to Bulma, the world knew that it had been a young man named Son Goku who had killed King Piccolo, and ended the Demon-King's reign of terror. _He's a hero. And he deserves every ounce of praise he's getting._

Yamcha smiled, remembering his conversation and impromptu sparring session with his old friend. _He's grown up, and not just physically._ He was, in many ways, still the same excitable person he had been as a kid, but there was a maturity to him now. _He's completely comfortable with who he is. He knows what he wants._

Yamcha's mind turned to a certain blue-haired young woman, and smiled. _And, __**finally**__, that includes Bulma!_

Yamcha had very early on realized the bond between the two. Despite the difference in age, he knew that connection was remarkably deep. _Early on, I knew Bulma had something of a crush on Goku_, Yamcha considered. _And I knew that she just needed the time to notice it. __**Goku, **__on the other hand… _Yamcha internally chuckled at the thought. The young warrior had never seemed to be interested in anything but fighting and eating, not necessarily in that order. _I thought he might never grow up. Like something out of the legends._

But then, Yamcha had seen the fire in Goku's eyes when he looked at Bulma, and he knew the young man had the desires that a young man normally has. _And who can blame him? _Yamcha thought. _Bulma really is almost perfect._ Yamcha considered his feelings for the blue-haired beauty. When he was younger he had certainly found her quite attractive, and had considered asking her out on numerous occasions. But whenever he did, he would come to realize that doing so would be a mistake.

_It wouldn't work,_ he thought wistfully. _I would always be compared to Goku in her mind._ And Yamcha knew, even though he was a great fighter in his own right, would never match to Goku in Bulma's mind. _They've known each other too long._ So, rather than risk their friendship, Yamcha had accepted that he and Bulma were not meant to be, and did his best to try and steer Goku and Bulma together.

_And now, _he thought with a grin, _it seems like it's actually going to happen!_

"Hey, Yamcha!" Krillin exclaimed, snapping Yamcha out of his reverie. "Keep up, man!"

Yamcha looked up, and saw the group had gotten a good way ahead of him. Yamcha picked up his pace to catch up, taking in the sights of the arena grounds.

As the group made their way into the preliminaries area, the rings were all set up, just as they always were. _Eight rings, one for each position in the quarterfinals._

"Man, things really haven't changed at all here, have they?!" Goku said, an enormous smile on his face.

Tien was also grinning. "Yeah, looks just like I remember," the three-eyed warrior said.

_Jeez, are those two like peas in a pod, _Yamcha thought. A furious spread across his face. _Still, I have to admit, seeing those rings gets my blood pumping, too._

"Hey, guys?" Krillin said, cautiously. "I just realized, there are five of now. I think the odds of two of us being set to the same ring for the preliminaries is actually pretty high this year..."

Goku's face fell at Krillin's statement. "Oh, man! I hope not! It would be a shame for any of us to have that happen!"

Yamcha saw a quick look between Tien and Chiaotzu, and Chiaotzu gave Tien a small nod, a slight smile on his face as he did so. _What do those two have planned? Very mysterious..._

As Yamcha pondered the interesting development, he was suddenly aware that the group had come up short and stopped walking. He looked up to see what would have made Goku of all people stop, and his blood turned to ice water in his veins. _That… that can't be…_

Standing before the quintet was a figure dressed in a blue gi, a broad white cape around his shoulders, and a white turban around his head. The figure was nearly as tall as Tien, and cut as imposing a figure as Yamcha had ever seen. But that is not what struck a chord of fear in Yamcha.

_His face… he looks just like King Piccolo!_

The green skin and dark eyes gave the figure away to anyone who had seen the foul tyrant. A killer's smile was on the figure's face, his sharp teeth gleaming white against the dark green of his lips. One could almost feel the arrogance and malice radiating from the figure like a physical force.

"Well, well," the figure stated. "It seems you didn't prove as difficult to find as I'd feared, Son Goku." When he spoke, the voice was deep and cruel, mockery and disdain filling every syllable. _Just like King Piccolo_, Yamcha thought, the voice and the memories it stirred sending a shiver down his spine.

Goku stepped toward the devilish figure, a grim look of determination on his face. _Man, I've never seen him give that kind of look before,_ Yamcha thought. _Rage, I saw after Krillin died. This cold determination? Never._

"I was wondering how long you'd take to show up," he said, catching Yamcha off guard. _Wait, Goku was expecting him? Well, that might have been nice to know..._ "So, what do we call you? King Piccolo the Second? Prince Piccolo?"

A deep, mocking laugh came from the spawn of the Demon King. "Just Piccolo will suffice for now. But while here, you can call me Ma Junior. No need to cause more trouble than needed at the current time."

"Strange, that you would care about causing trouble," Goku said, a note of disdain and, _was that hate?_ Yamcha thought, in his voice.

"If my true identity were known, I would not be allowed to compete."

"Why would that matter to someone like you?" Tien said, hatred dripping from his every word. "Why do you care about winning the tournament?"

"I don't give a damn about the tournament, really," Piccolo said. "But if I were to be disqualified, then I won't be able to make an example out of any of you, as your precious audience watches."

Yamcha could see the anger rising in Tien with every word the hellspawn uttered. "You won't be making an example out of anyone, demon," he said, his voice dangerously low. Yamcha knew what that voice meant. _Tien is getting ready to do something remarkably stupid..._

Piccolo turned and stared directly at Tien, his face never shifting from his mocking grin. "Take my word, if any of you come against me," he said, his eyes suddenly noticeably shifting to Chiaotzu, as his smile turned dangerously predatory, "you will be begging me to end your miserable lives."

Tien saw where Piccolo was looking and tensed immediately. "How dare you, you bastard!?" He prepared to strike at Piccolo, but was stopped by an arm outstretched by Goku, who gave a quick glance and a shake of his head to his fellow warrior. Then, he focused his full attention to Piccolo.

"Leave them out of this, Piccolo. I'm the one you're after," he said, cooly. But Yamcha could see the emotion seething under Goku's calm facade. _He's every bit as furious as Tien, he's just controlling it better_. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, quite the contrary, Goku," Piccolo smirked, his voice taking on a sickeningly sweet character, almost like a schoolteacher chiding a student. "They are very much part of it. By hurting them, I'll hurt you. Simple equation, really."

Suddenly, Krillin stepped forward, ruefully chuckling as he did. "Perhaps you should learn the lesson your predecessor did. Pissing off Goku would be an excellent way to guarantee yourself an ass-kicking!"

For the first time, a crack in the smug mask Piccolo had been wearing appeared, and his face contorted into a snarl of fury. "Believe me, I haven't forgotten what happened to King Piccolo. And believe me, Goku's anger isn't what you should all be worried about right now!"

Piccolo turned his back on the fighters and stormed away, his cape fluttering behind him as he did.

Yamcha released a breath he hadn't even been aware he had been holding, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn't believe it. The scion of King Piccolo, here! _And with my luck, I'll end up having to fight him at some point…_

The group stood in silence for a moment, collecting their thoughts over what had just happened. Finally, Tien was the one to break the silence, his eyes closed as he attempted to control his anger. "Well, that was… _interesting_…"

Goku's eyes hadn't left where Piccolo had walked away, focused utterly on the figure. "Yeah. I should have known he'd try to play dirty."

Yamcha finally felt his frustrations boil out of him, lashing out at Goku. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. So let me get this straight: you knew that he was going to be here, _and didn't bother telling any of us about it_?!" Yamcha walked right up to Goku, and stared him down. "What. The. _Hell_?"

Goku's eyes broke away under Yamcha's glare, somewhat ashamed. "Yeah, I knew."

Krillin walked up next to his old friend. "Then why not tell us? Don't you think we deserved to know?"

Goku looked down at Krillin, guilt filling his eyes. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you, I just… I didn't want you guys to worry." He looked up to meet the eyes of the rest of the group. "This… this is my fight, I don't want you guys getting caught in the middle."

Tien scoffed. "_Your_ fight? The hell does that mean, Goku?"

Chiaotzu raised his fist in solidarity. "Yeah! We're a team, aren't we? It's _our_ fight, okay, Goku?"

Yamcha smiled at the little psychic's enthusiasm. _Damn, wish I felt half as confident as he does. The thought of fighting that monster…_ Yamcha shook off those thoughts. _What the hell am I talking about?! I'm a student of the Turtle School!_ _And I'm not hiding from this fight while my friends walk into danger! _Yamcha moved forward, putting an arm around Goku as he did. "Don't even think about arguing with us on this, buddy."

Krillin put forward a thumbs up to Goku, his eye winking. "Yeah, we've got your back, Goku. You don't have to fight this guy on your own."

Yamcha could see the appreciation appear in Goku's eyes, but he could still feel the tense energy in the younger man's muscles. "Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it!"

Krillin looked over to the draw area. "Oh, jeez! The MC is here! We'd better get over there for the draw assignments!"

The group moved swiftly to the area where the lots were drawn to decide where every fighter would be assigned to compete. _In some ways_, Yamcha thought, _this is the most nerve-wracking part of the tournament_. He hated the waiting, and the dread of possibly having to be matched against his friends.

The MC, with his head of perfectly styled blonde hair, went through the typical rigamarole of the rules of the tournament. There were no weapons allowed, and no killing. Fights could be won by ring-out, knock-out, or resignation. _The same as every year, blah blah blah._

Finally, it came time to assign individuals to rings for the preliminaries. As the lots were being drawn, Yamcha happened to glance at Chiaotzu, and saw he was focused very tightly on something. _Ah…_ Yamcha thought with a grin. _So that's what that look was. Chiaotzu is making sure we don't fight each other in the preliminaries._ Yamcha wasn't sure such a thing was _technically_ legal, but he certainly wasn't going to rat his buddy out on it.

By the time the draw had completed, none of the Dragon Team had been assigned to the same ring. _And Piccolo is in a separate ring, as well_, Yamcha thought. _Just as well, any fight we would have against that beast would be sure to be too violent and dangerous for this space_.

As Yamcha went to his ring, he felt himself bump into someone quite forcefully. He quickly turned to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you like…"

As he looked at the other individual, his breath caught in his chest. The other fighter was a she, and she was beautiful.

She was tall, and well built. She wore an elegant fighter's dress, a rich blue in color with a red sash around her waist. The uniform left her arms bare, and Yamcha could see the tightly corded muscles of her arms, not large, but defined. Underneath the dress, she wore a pair of red pants, the same color as her sash. Her black hair was long, and pulled back into a ponytail. However, two strands hung around her ears, and her bangs elegantly came down to her brow. Her eyes were dark, and Yamcha could see a burning energy within those dark eyes. All together, the look was at once both extremely strong and intensely feminine, an alluring combination.

_Wow,_ Yamcha thought. _What an absolute knockout._

The young woman looked at Yamcha, an apologetic look on her face. "Oh, don't worry about it, I wasn't really paying attention either. I was looking for someone…" Her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "Wait, that uniform!" A small came over her face. "You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Turtle Hermit School, would you?"

Yamcha's straightened as he puffed out his chest in pride. _She knows our school! Better make a good first impression. Plus, she's damn cute…_ "I most certainly am! The name's Yamcha."

She looked almost absolutely giddy. "Oh, then you must know Goku!"

Yamcha could almost feel himself deflate a little. _Of course, she's looking for Goku. Why did I think any differently…_ He put on as convincing a smile as he could. "Yeah, I know Goku very well. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know what ring he was assigned to?"

Yamcha started feeling warning bells in his head. _Why is she so interested in Goku?_ he thought. _I'd better be a little careful with this one_. "Well, I think he was assigned to Ring 6."

Yamcha could see some disappointment come over the young woman's face. "Damn it. I was assigned to Ring 1… I was hoping to get this over with early…"

Now Yamcha was _really_ on alert. _Okay, this is getting a bit weird._ "I know Goku's going to be pretty busy, but was there maybe a message I could take to him for you, miss?"

The girl looked at him with her dark eyes, and Yamcha felt a slight tingle run through him. _Those eyes, they're so focused, so intense…_ Yamcha had never seen eyes that looked quite like that before. _It's… quite the attractive look…_

"No," she said, a stern energy filling that one simple syllable. "What I need to speak with him about is for his ears only." In a flash, the intensity left her expression, and a bright smile came over her face. "But thanks for offering… Yamcha, was it? I suppose I'll see you around!"

She turned and walked away toward Ring 1. As she left, Yamcha could do nothing but stare at her departing form, his eyes particularly drawn to the slight sway of her... ample hips as she walked away.

_Wowza…_ the ex-bandit thought. _She was something_.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something had seemed slightly familiar about the girl. _I can't quite place it, but I could swear I've seen her before…_ He racked his brain for a bit, but couldn't quite figure it out. _Well, I better get over to my ring assignment before I get my ass disqualified_, he thought.

Yamcha took up his place in Ring 8. Looking at his competition, he realized that he might have lucked out in the preliminaries.. No one in the group seemed particularly intimidating. _Sheesh, it seems like the entrants are getting weaker every year… Either that or I'm just getting so much stronger that it looks like it._

He saw his first fight of the preliminaries wasn't until the last pairing, so he decided to take some time to watch the other rings. He saw Goku take position on Ring 6, opposite… _By Kami, I think that's King Chappa! Again!_ Goku had faced the former Tenkaichi Budokai champion in the preliminaries at the last tournament, and come away with hard-fought victory. _Oof, _he thought. _Bad luck for Chappa._ This time, the fight between them was over almost instantly. Goku struck a single blow, and it sent King Chappa out of the ring. A stunned murmur went through the viewing fighters at the speed with which a former champion had been dispatched. _Goku's come so far from the last tournament,_ Yamcha thought. _I could barely keep up with him last night, and I'm pretty sure he was holding back a __**lot**_ _more than I was…_

He looked out at Ring 3, where Chiaotzu had placed himself. As he watched, Chiaotzu stood up to face what looked like some kind of cyborg. _And Chiaotzu seems really nervous_, thought Yamcha. Once the fight began, Yamcha quickly understood why. The cyborg moved lightning fast, and Yamcha could only watch in horror as he beat Chiaotzu brutally, with a cruel edge that seemed wholly unnecessary. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the cyborg threw a battered and beaten Chiaotzu from the ring. The young psychic did not move. _Oh, god. _His heart in his chest, Yamcha ran over to Ring 3, but he was beaten there by both Goku and Tien.

Tien glared at the cyborg, fury in his eyes, holding the bloodied form of his companion. "You think you can get away with something like this, Tao?"

_Tao? _Yamcha thought. _As in, Tao Pai-Pai? But, I thought he died during the whole Red Ribbon fiasco?_

Yamcha had heard of the legendary assassin Tao Pai-Pai during his time as a bandit. He was known for his ruthlessness, and for his perfect record as an assassin. _As far as I know, he never missed a single target. _Yamcha smiled. _Except one._

Yamcha knew from the stories that Goku had seemingly killed the cold-blooded murderer, but evidently that was not the case.

The cyborg (_Tao,)_ looked at Tien with what Yamcha could only describe as equal parts disdain and anger. "And do you think you and that brat can just get away with betraying the Crane School and my brother?"

_Brother? _Yamcha thought. _So, Tao Pai-Pai is the brother of Master Shen. Makes sense, actually_. Master Shen, the sensei of the Crane School (and Tien's former master) had been every bit as merciless and amoral as the assassin. _Hell, he seemed to be training Tien to follow in his brother's footsteps._

Tao then turned to Goku. "And _you!_" he exclaimed. "It's your fault I look like this. Don't think you are going to escape my wrath either!"

Goku simply looked at Tao with anger burning in his eyes. He said nothing, just glared at the cyborg assassin.

Tien stood, still holding Chiaotzu's bloody form against himself. "Don't you _dare_ threaten any of my friends again, bastard. I'll take you down, I promise you that. And you can tell that to your poor excuse of a brother, too."

Tao simply gave a "Hmph" in reply, and walked away.

Tien also turned and walked away, taking Chiaotzu to receive medical attention. Yamcha looked to Goku, who just gave him a nod, and walked back to his ring assignment. Yamcha walked back as well, his thoughts spinning. _Man, already one of us out. Guess maybe I shouldn't take my group so lightly…_

When he returned, he didn't need to wait long before it was his turn to fight. He stood across from his opponent, an enormous man with bulging muscles who claimed to be a former world-champion boxer. Yamcha took his Wolf Fang Fist stance, and as soon as the bell rang, he dashed forward. _I am like a storm,_ he thought, remembering Goku's words to him the previous night. _A storm raging and furious._

If there was one thing Master Roshi had never really managed to curb, it was Yamcha's tendency to prefer being on the offensive. Yamcha liked to dictate the terms of engagement of a fight, rather than feel his opponent out. It could put his opponent on their heels, but also often left him open to counter-attacks, should his opponent be able to withstand that initial assault. He couldn't count the number of times Master Roshi had managed to either dodge the strikes, or even blocked and countered one of them, leaving Yamcha completely at the master's mercy.

His current foe, however, was certainly not skilled enough to do anything of the sort. The fury of blows that Yamcha rained down upon him swiftly overwhelmed the man, unable to see where the strikes were coming from. He gave way, his hands over his head, crouching his torso to avoid taking the full power of the blows. In the blink of an eye, Yamcha had driven him back to the edge of the ring. The boxer tried one desperate punch to turn the tide of the fight, but it seemed like it was in slow motion for Yamcha. He easily knocked the punch away, and lashed out with a spinning heel kick that struck on the jaw of his opponent. He could hear the crack as his foot slammed into the jaw, and he could feel the bone give way as it snapped.

Yamcha winced. _Yow, I didn't mean to hit him __**that**_ _hard,_ he thought as the boxer spun in the air, and crumpled into a heap on the floor, knocked out cold from the vicious strike.

"Winner by ring-out, Yamcha!"

As Yamcha exited the ring, he could hear a few murmurs from the fighters around him, and many backed away from him. _Well, that was a bit harsher than I meant to be…_ he thought. But it was okay. He had won his match, and more importantly, had done so with authority. _I hope Krillin and Tien are doing okay._

He glanced over at Ring 1, and he stopped in his tracks. The young woman he had spoken to previously was upon the ring. Her opponent appeared to be a freestyle wrestler. _Well, let's see how she fights, _he thought, a thrill going through him at the thought. _I hope she does well_.

When the fight began, she entered into a stance that reminded Yamcha of Tae Kwon Do. The two fighters seemed to size each other up for several heartbeats, both feigning attacks to see how the other would respond defensively. When the first real attack began, it came from her opponent. He charged in at her, seemingly wanting to grapple at her legs. _Makes sense, _Yamcha thought. _If he can get her to the ground, he'll have the advantage._ A fey thought crossed Yamcha's mind, and a smirk came to his face. _Besides, who wouldn't want to grapple with those lovely legs…_

Whatever the wrestler's intentions, however, they failed miserably, as the young woman's right leg flashed out in a vicious front kick that struck the wrestler full in the face. He staggered back, his ass on the ring, blood pouring from a clearly broken nose, caught completely unawares based on her previous defensive reactions. _She baited him,_ Yamcha thought, impressed. _She showed a false weak point in her defense, and when he went to utilize it, she buried him._

It didn't take her long to follow up on the advantage. She quickly moved forward as the wrestler tried to rise to his feet. Before he could fully regain his footing, she brought her left foot over into a brutal roundhouse kick that struck the man in the temple. Yamcha could only cringe as the man crumpled. _Good night. _The ten-count was purely academic; he was out cold before he even hit the ground. _Wow. Beautiful and a hell of a fighter. That is… sexy as hell!_

As the woman left the ring, her eyes caught Yamcha watching her. She gave him a small, warm smile, blushing a little as she did. Yamcha could feel his own face blush a bit.

_Get your head in the game, Yamcha,_ he thought, turning away from the girl. _Don't let a pretty face distract you from the tournament._

He suddenly realized he hadn't even gotten her name. _Wow, great going there, genius. Guess you better hope you run into her again..._

The rest of the preliminaries passed without any other moments of note. Yamcha had been correct in his opinions of his opponents. None posed him any serious challenge. Krillin, Tien, and Goku had all been in the same boat.

The female fighter managed to win all her matches, and to no one's surprise, so had Piccolo. Tao had also won, and the last quarterfinalist was an unassuming looking man by the name of Hero.

_He doesn't look like much, _Yamcha thought, _but if he had won his bracket, then he must have __**some**_ _skills._

As the eight warriors gathered, Yamcha attempted to get the young woman's attention, but she was staring intently at Goku, and nothing Yamcha would say could get her attention. _Yeah, definitely weird…_ he thought.

"Congratulations, warriors!" the MC cried out, his piercing voice every bit as irritating as ever. "You eight have made your way through to the final rounds of the Tenkaichi Budokai!"

Yamcha looked around at the fighters around him. No one seemed excited or particularly pleased with the accomplishment. _I guess all of us just expected to make it this far_, he thought.

Examining each warrior, he knew this was by far the most dangerous group of quarter-finalists in his years at the Budokai. _Please, just let me not be paired against Goku or Piccolo,_ he thought.

The first person called up to draw was the young woman, who the announcer stated had entered as "Anonymous". _Mysterious…_ Yamcha thought. _This is like something out of some cheap paperback novel._ She reached a delicate hand into the box, and withdrew one of the slips of paper. She showed it to the MC.

"Anonymous has drawn Number 2!"

Miss Anonymous walked back down from the dais as her name was written along the second line of the bracket. Yamcha caught her eye as she stepped down, and he gave her a thumbs up. She gave him a brief smile, before turning her focused attention back to Goku. _What is up with this girl? _Yamcha wondered.

The second called up was Krillin, who had won Ring 2. When he drew out the paper, the announcer shouted that he had drawn Number 8. _So, he'll be in the last quarterfinal match_, Yamcha thought.

The next to walk up was Tao, the winner of Ring 3. He drew the 3rd position in the bracket. _No matchups have been set yet. _Yamcha thought.

"All right," the announcer said. "The winner of Ring 4 is Ma Junior. Please come up to draw your position."

Yamcha's heart began hammering as Piccolo strode up to the stage. All of the Dragon Team held their breath as he drew his number, many dreading that he would draw their number. A twisted smile broke across the demon's face as looked at his number. His eyes met Goku's as he began to walk down the ramp.

"Ma Junior has drawn Number 7!"

Yamcha's heart dropped a bit, and he could hear a soft, but audible invective come from beside him. _Shit, that means he's matched with Krillin._

Yamcha looked over at his good friend. He could see a modicum of fear on his face, but also total determination. _Well, at least he seems to be taking it well_.

As Ma Junior's name was written onto the bracket next to Krillin's, Yamcha considered his remaining potential opponents. _Only one match has no entrant yet…_ he thought. _That means I have a pretty good chance of avoiding Goku and Tien in the first round…_ He began to think he might actually have a chance to win a match this year!

Ring 5's winner was Hero, the non-descript fighter. Yamcha couldn't believe it as he awkwardly tripped his way up to the dais. _**This**_ _guy managed to win a spot? Something is very wrong here…_

The announcer called out that Hero had drawn Number 6. _Well, that's it then. All the matches have at least one member._ Yamcha smiled. _So, it'll either be Miss Anonymous, Tao or Hero._ He considered each of those potential matches. _Well, I know how dangerous Tao would be, but I'm pretty sure I can handle him. I've sparred with Tien enough to know what to expect from the Crane School. _He thought about the young woman. _Miss Anonymous is skilled, no doubt, but after watching a few of her other matches, her footwork can get a little sloppy when she's attacked rapidly._ Yamcha gave a small smile. _That would prove problematic against my Wolf Fang Fist._ Finally, he considered Hero, and his smile turned to a slight frown. _Him, I have no idea what to expect. I didn't really watch his matches_.

Each had advantages and disadvantages to a fight, but there was a clear best option. _If I have to choose, _Yamcha decided, _I think I'd choose Miss Anonymous. I know Wolf Fang Fist will match well against her._

Goku was next to draw. The announcer could barely contain his excitement at announcing Goku's name, considering his history at the tournament. _Two consecutive finals will do that for you…_ Yamcha thought.

Goku walked with absolute confidence to the stage. When he drew his lot, a slight frown came to his face, and his eyes glanced quickly over to Miss Anonymous. _Oh, come on!_ Yamcha thought, _you can't be serious!_

The announcer made it official. "Son Goku has drawn Number 1!"

Miss Anonymous' face could barely contain the smile that crossed it, and she drew her hands in and jumped slightly in pace. Yamcha could even have sworn he heard a quiet squeal escape from the girl. _Why is she so desperate to go up against Goku?_ he wondered. _She's good, but she has absolutely __**no**_ _chance against him._

Goku looked oddly at the girl, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of facing off against her. _Yeah, I'd be a bit wary if someone seemed __**that**_ _obsessed with me, too._

"The next to draw is the winner of Ring 7, and defending champion, Tien Shinhan!"

Tien walked swiftly up the ramp, and drew his number. A grim smile met his face as he drew. _Well, there's only one person that could get that look out of him…_ Yamcha knew.

"Tien Shinhan has drawn number 4!"

Tien and Tao traded glares with one another as the three-eyed warrior stepped off the dais. _Tien gets his chance for blood right off the bat_. Yamcha was worried for his friend. _Tien is so strong, but loses his focus so easily…_ Yamcha thought. _And there is no doubt in my mind Tao knows that too. He'll use it against him…_

Yamcha's mind spun in his head. _Well, guess I get Mister Awkward…_ Yamcha looked over at the figure, and caught him picking his nose. _What in the ever-loving Kami is up with this guy? Is he for real?_ Yamcha still had an odd feeling, uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. _This looks too easy..._

"And that means that, by default, Yamcha receives the fifth position! And all our quarter-final matches are now set! In the first match, Son Goku will face Anonymous! In the second match, Tao Pai-Pai will battle Tien Shinhan! In the third match, Yamcha will face off with Hero, and in the last match, Ma Junior will struggle against Krillin! You may now break for lunch, the final rounds will begin at one o'clock! Good luck, everyone, and fight well!"

The announcer left the room, likely to announce the match-ups to the awaiting crowd. Some of the fighter, led by Goku, made a beeline to the dining area for lunch. Others, moved more slowly. Yamcha stood where he was for a brief moment, considering what was about to come.

Fate's die had been cast, and Yamcha looked forward to seeing where it would land. _All I know,_ he thought, _is that this is gonna be one hell of an afternoon..._

* * *

_A/N: Again, sorry for the delay in this chapter. Writing Yamcha was a pain, and I struggled to get the tone of this chapter right. I have a good portion of the next chapter finished already. For anyone worrying about whether Goku will accept Chi-Chi's proposal, you'll find out in the next chapter, _"_**An Unexpected Proposal"**__!_


	4. An Unexpected Proposal

_Once again, thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! Glad people enjoyed getting a Yamcha POV! So, as you can tell, this story will rotate between POV characters mostly on a chapter-by-chapter basis. During some of the more intense, action-heavy chapters, I will likely rotate within the chapter, to create a more chaotic feel to the action. My set of POV characters for this section is now set: Bulma, Goku, Piccolo and Yamcha. More characters will be added for POVs as the story continues! _

_(Edit: I have re-uploaded this chapter with a revised ending. My reasons for doing so are in my end notes. The only changes come in Bulma and Goku's conversation.)_

**Chapter 4 - An Unexpected Proposal**

Time felt like it was moving in slow motion, Bulma thought.

It had been nearly 3 hours since her friends had entered the tournament grounds to begin the preliminaries. There was still no announcement of who had made it to the final eight.

"It usually doesn't take this long, right? What's the delay?" Bulma asked impatiently, checking her watch for the 4th time in the last… _Five minutes?! You have to be joking!_

"Calm down, Bulma!" Oolong said. "Just watching you right now is raising my blood pressure!"

"Shut up, you dumb pig!" she shouted back. "Aren't you worried at all? Something must be going on back there! They've usually let the crowd in around 12:00 for the tournament!"

"But," Launch said, trying to calm Bulma down as well, "it's only 12:10. That isn't too late, really…"

Bulma growled a little. _Why can't they understand!? I'm just..._ She felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder. Master Roshi's voice was utterly calm and soothing. "Bulma, I know you're impatient to see him, but running around with your head a-tizzy won't get them out here any sooner. Settle down."

Bulma prepared to snark a comeback at the old man, but took a deep breath instead. _He's right,_ she thought. _All I'm doing is working myself up for no reason. I just…_

She thought back to the morning, as Goku had left for the tournament, and the profound sadness she felt as he walked away.

_I just want to see him again_, she thought longingly. For a good portion of the previous evening, she had struggled with the idea that she had feelings for the young fighter. But as she lay awake at night, unable to take her mind off of him, she had finally come to accept the truth: she had a crush on him. _Maybe even more than a crush_, she mused. _I know him well enough that this could be… well it might possibly be… _She couldn't even bring herself to think the word.

Love. A simple word. The one word Bulma had always had trouble with.

She had never once heard it from her parents. It wasn't that they were cruel or abusive. Quite the contrary. Bulma cared deeply for both her father and her mother, and she knew they cared for her. The Briefs family was… just not very good at showing affection. Bulma's mind shifted to her parents. She knew she took after both almost equally, her love of fashion and shopping coming from her mother, and her brilliant scientific mind from her father, the man who changed the world with his numerous inventions, and ran the entirety of Capsule Corporation.

_But that's the thing, isn't it_, she thought, a note of slight bitterness coloring her thoughts. _Father was always more interested in his inventions and in his company than in actually doing real parenting. And mother…_ Bulma nearly snorted out loud. _The few times she actually tried to be a doting mother, it failed miserably._ She could still taste the burned soup her mother had attempted to make one evening. Burned. Soup. _She always spent more time looking after the damn cats._

And so, Bulma had been mostly raised by a cavalcade of tutors and nannies. Most didn't last long, dealing with the stubborn, mischievous girl. _I could be a bit of a handful_, she thought with a slight giggle, remembering the hell she would raise. Once she was old enough, her parents stopped trying, and just let her manage on her own.

Then, the day came when she finally created her own invention: the Dragon Radar. That same day, some fey feeling had come over her, and she made the choice to run off on an adventure to find the Dragon Balls. _I suppose it was something of a cry for attention_, she thought. Of course, the rest was history. The radar had led her to Mount Paozu in search of the Four-Star, and her life changed forever.

When she returned home after that first adventure, it was the first time she could remember both her mother and father crying. They had been so worried about her. _And yet, neither of them once said…_ She once again stopped short of thinking of the word, tears beginning to fill her eyes. _I will not cry about this_, she told herself. _Crying won't do anything to change it._

Suddenly, a voice came over the loudspeakers near the audience entrance area. "_Your attention please: The viewing stands are now open. The announcement of the matches will begin in 10 minutes time. The first quarterfinal match will begin at 1 pm promptly._"

A thrill went through Bulma's spine. _Yes! Finally!_

Her companions all looked at one another with expectant expressions. They began to laugh as they made their way to their seats.

Master Roshi had some significant pull, being a three-time champion of the Budokai, and so they had gotten front row seats, closest to the center of the ring.

"Wow!" Oolong exclaimed as he took in the view from their seats. "Prime spots!"

Bulma couldn't help but agree. She suspected that they would be able to see and hear everything happening in the ring during the matches, even over the roar of the crowd. _Nothing to block my view of Goku in action,_ she thought, a playful smirk reaching her face.

When the MC came out to announce who had reached the quarterfinals, Bulma was shocked to not hear Chiaotzu's name called. _Wow, someone eliminated him?_ she thought. It was disappointing, but she was glad none of her remaining friends had to face one another in the quarterfinals. She would cheer for them all obviously, but she had one she was pulling for the most.

"So," Master Roshi said, "Goku gets lucky and draws the first match."

Bulma turned toward the old man. "Why does that make him lucky?"

Roshi began stroking his beard, thoughtful. "Means he's always going to have more rest than his opponent, if he advances in the tournament."

Bulma thought about it. _That makes a lot of sense. He'll have a little more rest than his opponent in the semi-finals, and a lot more rest than his opponent in the finals._

"I wonder what kind of fighter this… Anonymous is going to turn out to be," Bulma inquired.

"No idea," said Roshi. "But if they value their secrecy so much, it should be interesting."

_Interesting is certainly one word for it…_ Bulma thought disdainfully. _Annoying might be another one._

"Have you ever heard of someone doing something like this before?" Launch asked. "Choosing not to use their name?"

Master Roshi gave a loud laugh. "Well, sure. I mean, I did the last two tournaments, didn't I?"

"I guess… but to not enter any name?" Bulma asked. "Don't they need a name when you register?"

"Naw," Roshi said. "They just need something they can write on the board. Loads of people go anonymous each year. Mostly people that don't have a disguise, or don't feel like making up a false name, but are trying to avoid being recognized."

"Why would they need to do that?" Launch asked sweetly.

"Lots of reasons," Roshi said. "Maybe you don't want other competitors to know who you are, maybe you don't want authorities to know who you are… Hell, maybe you don't want the tournament to know who you are! There have been fighters who have been banned for life, because they killed someone in cold-blood in the ring. Those guys usually come back under a false name or go anonymous."

A sudden fear gripped Bulma's heart. "So, Goku could be fighting a murder?!"

Roshi shrugged his shoulders. "Could be. You never know with anonymous fighters! That's what makes them exciting!"

Bulma suddenly felt sick to her stomach. _A killer in the ring with Goku…_ The thought terrified her. _What if I lose him before I even get to tell him how I feel…_

The next half-hour went by swiftly, the companions passing the time making small talk, wondering about these other fighters their other friends would be facing as well.

Suddenly, a salvo of fireworks were launched from the building, and the gong was sounded. The announcer made his way out to the center of the ring.

"Shut up everybody, it's starting!" Oolong shouted.

The MC raised his microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, the world's premier martial arts tournament!"

The crowd roared in approval, excited for the coming action. Bulma was every bit as excited as the rest, but for the first time, didn't find herself cheering with the crowd. Nerves were choking her cries, her heart beating a million miles an hour. _C'mon, Goku. I believe in you…_

"Here, at today's tournament, we will crown the "Greatest Under Heaven", a title proudly worn by numerous martial artists the world over! This year, more than one hundred fighters from around the world registered. Over the course of the morning, that number has been reduced to eight!" The announcer paused for dramatic effect. The crowd murmured in amazement that a field so large could be narrowed so quickly. Bulma rolled her eyes. _Please. Most of the people who enter aren't anything special. You literally just need to sign your name to enter. Of the hundred entrants, _maybe _twenty or so in a given year are actually competitive._

The announcer began again. "Beginning in just a few moments, our quarterfinal match-ups will further reduce this number to 4. The rules of the matches are as follows: The warriors will not begin the battle until the bell sounds. A fighter is eliminated if they are knocked to the floor and unable to stand by the count of 10, if any part of their body lands on the ground outside the ring, or they retire or submit."

_The same as every year, _Bulma thought.

"The tournament strictly prohibits the usage of weapons within the matches. Any fighter who draws and uses a weapon will be immediately disqualified. The tournament also strict prohibits the use of lethal force. A fighter who strikes a killing blow to their opponent will be disqualified." The crowd gasped at this, as if shocked at the thought of a fighter dying in the ring. Bulma rolled her eyes. _Have these people never been to the Tenkaichi Budokai before,_ she scoffed. _Absolutely pathetic._

"Now, with all the preliminary information out of the way, let the Tenkaichi Budokai begin!"

The crowd roared again, and Bulma felt a thrill shoot through her. _I can't wait to see how strong Goku has gotten!_

"The first competitor in our opening match is a name that will be well known to anyone who has followed the Budokai in recent years. The past two tournaments, he has been within a hair's-breadth of being named "Greatest Under Heaven", falling just short in the finals each time in perhaps the greatest matches this tournament has ever seen! Is this finally the year he earns the championship?!" _Kami, I hope so, _Bulma thought. _He's deserved the past two times as well… _"Ladies and gentlemen, two-time finalist Son Goku!"

The crowd cheered very loudly for her friend, and Bulma was shouting just as loudly; in fact, she was cheering more loudly than she had ever cheered before. She whistled as he walked out, his tall form and wild hair instantly recognizable. He looked uncomfortable with all the attention, his face a slight red, his hand scratching the back of his head, a nervous tic Bulma recognized so well. _Whenever he's nervous or embarrassed, he does that._ She smiled. _Oh, Goku. Live this up! They adore you!_

For a split-second, his eyes met hers, and she could see his embarrassed blush grow larger as they did. She could feel the heat enter her cheeks as well. _His eyes really are quite beautiful_, she thought. _So warm and full of life…_

Just as suddenly, the connection broke, as Goku turned around, and began stretching his body out, preparing for the match. As he did, Bulma could just see the faintest hint of the muscles underneath his orange gi. _Kame, has he built up muscle!_ she thought. Her mind began to imagine what he would look like without the gi. The thought sent tingles throughout her body. _Get your mind out of the gutter, Bulma_, she thought, shaking the undeniably alluring image out of her mind. _There will be time to fantasize later._

As Goku took his position, the announcer began to introduce his opponent. "And facing this seasoned competitor is a newcomer to the Budokai! Entering under the name "Anonymous", this mysterious figure has proven remarkably skilled during the preliminaries, despite her gentle appearance." _HER?! _Bulma thought, her eyes going wide in surprise. "Will she have what it takes to overcome the talent and skill of Goku?! Let's welcome the mysterious Anonymous to the stage!"

The crowd began to cheer, though not as loudly as they had for Goku. As Anonymous made her way to the ring, Bulma couldn't believe her eyes. "That girl made it through the preliminaries?!" she exclaimed, voicing her disbelief to her friends.

When she didn't get a response, she looked at her companions, and immediately regretted it. Both Master Roshi and Oolong were staring at her with their mouths open, an idiotic grin on their faces. Bulma rolled her eyes. _Typical men._

Doing her best to ignore the lechers next to her, she looked closer at the girl. She was very young, probably a couple years younger than Bulma herself, and she certainly moved like a calm, collected martial artist. She took a position opposite Goku, and the two moved forward to perform the traditional bow of respect before the match. The anonymous woman then spoke to Goku. Bulma was close enough to the ring that she could hear almost every word, even above the hum of the crowd.

"It's good to finally see you again, Goku," the girl said with a smile on her face. _Again? _Bulma thought. _So, they've met before? But I certainly don't recognize her…_

Evidently, neither did Goku. "Huh? But, I don't think we've ever met before, miss…"

The girl laughed. It was a pleasant, melodious sound. "Oh, Goku. I know I look different than when we first met, but I know you aren't so absent minded that you can't recognize me…"

"Uh, well… I mean…" Goku looked quite nervous, obviously a little put off by the girl's casualness. _It's a trick, Goku_, Bulma thought fiercly, hoping her thoughts could reach her old friend. _She's just trying to get in your head. _Bulma's lips pursed. _Don't let her distract you from the match._

"You know what?" the girl said, walking slightly forward toward Goku. "How about a little wager?"

"A wager?" Goku asked, taking the slightest step back away from her. _Is this girl for real? _Bulma thought. _That almost seemed like flirting…_

"Yeah," the anonymous fighter said. "If you win, I'll tell you my name."

"Okay, sure," Goku replied. "And if you win?"

She smiled. "If I win, you will fulfill the promise you made me the last time we met." _A promise? What promise?_ Bulma wondered.

"What promise?" Goku asked, a perfect echo of Bulma's thoughts.

The girl laughed again. "Oh, Goku. You are certainly playing dumb quite well. Don't worry, though," she said. "It's kind of cute."

The girl gave him a wink. Bulma's mouth opened in shock. _Wait a minute: is... is she __**actually**_ _**flirting **__with him?! _Bulma thought, furious. Her mouth closed into a frown, her eyes boring holes through the interloper. "I'm gonna kill her…" she whispered, under her breath.

"Eh, what was that, Bulma?" Master Roshi asked.

"Nothing!' Bulma quickly replied.

The girl retook her position opposite of Goku, entering into a strong fighter's stance. Goku continued to look confused for a moment, but then shrugged off his confusion, and entered into the traditional stance of the Turtle School, his body crouched low, his legs set into a wide stance, providing a narrow profile to his opponent, one hand wide behind him, the other forward. It was a stance Bulma had seen many times before, but to see it now, on a fully-grown man, it became far more intimidating. _And gorgeous_, she admitted.

"Fighters, ready!" The announcer said. "Let the match… BEGIN!"

The gong sounded, and the anonymous fighter immediately charged at Goku. Goku moved to block the expected strike, but at the last instant, she vaulted into the air, swinging around Goku. Her leg lashed out at him, but Goku quickly ducked his head, avoiding the strike. He followed his momentum to the ground, and swept his leg at where he expected the Anonymous fighter to be, but she tucked and rolled herself away from the strike, landing with cat-like grace. Goku swiftly closed the distance to follow-up his attack.

The pair began to strike, block and dodge at a furious rate. The crowd "ooh'd" and "ah'd" at the display of body control being shown.

Bulma was laser-focused on the action, but she had to admit she was having trouble following what was happening. _She's so quick_, Bulma thought. _This is absolutely incredible. I can usually follow the early rounds._ "What's happening, Master Roshi? I can't quite follow it," she admitted.

Master Roshi was stroking his beard watching the match, now every bit the martial arts master, and no longer the dirty old man. _It's remarkable how quickly that can shift,_ Bulma thought. "Well," he said. "The girl is putting in an impressive showing, but it's painfully clear she is completely outclassed." He glanced at Bulma quickly. "This match will be over quickly."

Bulma looked back at the action. "But, it looks like they are pretty evenly matched!"

"It would, to an untrained eye." Roshi pronounced sagely. "But she's just a half-step slow in her reactions. And Goku is holding back." He stamped his staff for emphasis. "A lot. Once he decides to take this even slightly seriously, it's all over."

As Bulma continued to watch the flurry of punches and kicks, she still could not see what Master Roshi was talking about. _She doesn't seem to be anything even close to slow… _Then, in the blink of an eye, Goku snatched the anonymous fighter's arm as she attempted a knife-edge chop. He pulled her up over his body in a hip toss, and before she had a chance to react, she landed with a resounding thud on the outside of the ring. Bulma's eyes went wide. _Just like Master Roshi said,_ she thought. _Over in a few seconds._

The girl seemed slightly stunned, as was the crowd, at the abruptness of what had just occurred. The announcer cried out, "The anonymous fighter is out of the ring! Goku is the winner!"

The girl rose to her feet as the crowd began to cheer in approval at Goku's victory. She stepped back into the ring, and Bulma strained her ear to hear the discussion of what would come next. _I wanna know who she is too!_ she thought. "That way I'll know what name to put on her tombstone…" she said in a low voice.

"Did you say something Bulma?" Oolong asked.

"Nothing!" Bulma exclaimed again.

"Wow, I'd heard the stories, Goku," the girl said. "Looks like they weren't exaggerations! You will most certainly make a wonderfully suitable husband."

"HUSBAND?!" Bulma shouted, unable to keep her thoughts silent. "JUST WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE HARLOT?!"

If the girl or Goku heard her, they didn't show it. "Hu...husband?" Goku stammered, uncertainty filling his voice. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's obvious, isn't it?" the girl said, a note of trepidation and doubt entering her voice. "I mean, you must know what I'm talking about now, right?"

"No," Goku said, matter-of-factly. "I still don't know what you're talking about, and frankly, it's creeping me out a little, miss."

A look of absolute pain and panic imbued the girls face. "But… but you said…"

Goku put his hand behind his head in his typical nervous fashion, an awkward but genuine smile coming to his face. "But that was a really fun match! You're awesome! I'd love to fight you again someday!"

The girl's face began to twist into a fury at that. "'Fight you again'!?" she shouted. "Don't you get it?! I only started training to get _your_ attention!"

"Huh?" Goku asked, unsure where this was going. _As am I,_ Bulma thought. _This could get really bad..._

The girl stormed up to Goku, radiating a remarkable anger. "Why, Goku?! Why are you being so cruel?! I refuse to believe you have forgotten the promise you made me!"

Goku looked puzzled at the outburst. "Um… what promise?"

"That you would marry me!"

_Goku, promise to marry this girl? _Bulma thought. _Is she sure she has the right Goku? _Bulma watched in strange and horrified fascination as Goku's expression went from puzzled to absolutely baffled. "Marry you? Now I'm even more confused…"

The young fighter's expression grew even darker. "You really don't recognize me? Really?"

"No, I don't! I promise, if I knew what you were talking about, I'd tell you that! Please, who are you?"

"I'm Chi-Chi, daughter of the Ox-King!"

Bulma could see Goku's eyes go wide as he recognized the name. He took a step back. "Chi-Chi?!"

Bulma's reaction was much more instantaneous. Her eyes shot up in both shock and fury. "THAT'S THE OX-KING'S DAUGHTER?!" she exclaimed.

She remembered the small girl they had met when they journeyed to Fire Mountain all those years ago, in search of the Dragon Balls. It had been on the first adventure, and it was where they had all seen the Kamehameha Wave in action. _But we haven't seen either the Ox-King or Chi-Chi since then… at least, I don't think we have..._

She heard similar exclamations of disbelief beside her from all of her companions. Well, almost all of them.

Only Oolong seemed unsurprised by the revelation. "Yeah, absolutely," he said, nodding his head. "I knew it right away. It just made too much sense, with the way she was talking."

"Wow, Oolong," said Launch, "You must be pretty smart to figure that one out!"

Oolong puffed out his chest. "Well, of course! Everyone knows I'm the brains of this operation… OW!" He gave a yelp of pain as Bulma slapped her fist on his head.

"Oh, really? _You're _the brains?" she said. "So maybe I should just let you fix your own damn car next time it breaks down, huh pig?"

Oolong grumbled as he rubbed his head, the strike still stinging.

Bulma took another look at the lovely young woman. "Well, she clearly must take after her mother…" she muttered under her breath, barely believing this beautiful girl could possibly be related to that mountain of muscle and hair. She was trying to make sure no one could hear her, but it was apparently loud enough for Master Roshi to hear, because she heard the old sensei stifle a laugh.

_And she's trying to steal Goku!_ Bulma thought furiously. _That absolute bitch!_ Bulma couldn't believe what this little girl was trying to pull. _How many years has it been since she saw Goku? He was a totally naive kid! He didn't know what marriage meant then! To try to hold him to that…_ Bulma couldn't fathom that. _I mean, she doesn't even really _know _Goku at all. Just the idea of him that exists in her head._

Chi-Chi was still yelling at Goku. "When you came to Fire Mountain, you promised we would have a marriage, remember?! And I explained what it was later, because you weren't sure? How it was what happened when a boy and a girl like each other a lot?"

Goku got a very sheepish look on his face. "I really don't remember anything like that at all, Chi-Chi, I'm sorry." Goku then cocked his head to the side. "Besides, I couldn't possibly marry you, since there's already a girl I like. She's right over there." Goku turned and pointed.

Directly at Bulma.

It took a second for Bulma to process what was happening. Once she saw where Goku was pointing, she felt her cheeks flush.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod… _she thought, panicking slightly as the audience turned to look at her. _This cannot be happening._ She wanted to slink away out of shame. Then, another thought entered her mind. _Wait, did he just say he _liked _me? And that he couldn't marry Chi-Chi because of that? So, he _likes me _likes me?_ Her cheeks flushed even more, as butterflies began to dance in her stomach. _He… he likes me, too! _She started to think about it a bit more, and the embarrassment came back. _I mean, I think I would have preferred not to find out like this. Maybe under romantic starlight, or next to a cozy fireplace, or a candlelit dinner..._

But, she realized, this was really peak Goku. _How could it have gone any other way?_

She suddenly realized the entire crowd was staring. _Oh, god, can I just melt away right now? _Looking back to the ring, she realized she was also under the piercing gaze of Chi-Chi. And she was _furious_. _If looks could kill,_ Bulma thought, _I would be vaporized, I think._

In fact, Bulma was almost certain the girl was going to charge at her. _Don't look away, _Bulma thought. _You can't show any weakness_.

For a few moments, the two women glared at one another. Finally, Chi-Chi was the first to break the staring contest. "Ha!" Bulma said, quietly. "I win, bitch!"

Chi-Chi continued walking toward the back of the arena, her expression growing empty and emotionless. As she passed by Goku, she whispered something that Bulma couldn't hear, and then…

And then she kissed Goku on the cheek.

Bulma felt her anger begin to boil in her blood all over again. _Can't you just accept defeat, stupid girl? It's over!_

Chi-Chi looked expectantly at Goku, but saw only a slightly off-put expression, as Goku leaned away from her.

And with that, Chi-Chi slunk back into the fighter's ready area, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Despite her anger, Bulma also couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Chi-Chi. _Poor girl. She must have been planning this moment for a long time_, she realized. _It would have taken her years to get that skilled in martial arts, and she said she only did so to get Goku's attention_. And now, Bulma knew, it had proven meaningless.

_Because Goku… likes me!_ She was giddy with excitement at the thought.

Bulma was broken from her momentary reverie as she saw Goku walking the short field to where she was standing. Her heart started pounding, watching his strong, confident strides to her. She looked at him with expectant eyes. "Hi," she said as he reached her. "What's up?"

Goku pointed toward the tournament's main building. "I talked with the announcer, and he said there's an area where non-fighters can come and talk with the finalists, if they need to. Can you meet me over there? We have a couple of minutes before the next match."

Bulma's heart leapt up into her throat at the suggestion. _He… he needs to talk to me…_ She put on a brave face however. "Um, yeah sure. I'll head over there now."

Goku didn't respond, he just nodded, and walked back across the ring, to the holding area. The announcer called out his name, and the crowd began cheering again. Bulma ignored them, as she made her way to the building, only quickly glancing at her friends, who all looked excited for her. Particularly Master Roshi, who had the most genuine smile she had ever seen on his face. She heard him call out "Go get 'im, baby!" as she walked away, and she couldn't contain her laughter as she did. She heard the laughter of her friends, as well as a few of the other fans who were standing nearby as well.

She found her way to the main entrance of the primary temple, where the fighters were brought. She told the security guards that she was meeting Goku at the vistation area. They walked her in. She could see that Goku was already sitting there, waiting for her on a bench. He waved to her, and she waved back. The guard told her they had five minutes. Bulma sat next to Goku, facing him on the bench.

An awkward silence sat between them, as they considered what to say.

"Well, I…"

"I think…"

Both stopped short, laughing at the awkwardness.

"Maybe you…"

"Why don't…"

They stopped short again, and laughed even harder, though the nervous tension in the room was palpable.

Goku gave Bulma a slight nod of his head, telling her non-verbally that she should start.

After a moment to gather her thoughts, Bulma decided not to beat around the bush. "So, you said out there that you like me?"

Goku smiled broadly, but nervously. "Well… I mean... yeah, Bulma!" he said. "You're my best friend! How could I not like you?"

Bulma's heart began to drop. Of course that's what he means, you idiot! she thought, berating herself for getting her hopes up. _He's still the same naive innocent kid, even if his body has grown up…_ "Oh," she said, disappointment filling every corner of that single syllable. "A friend."

"No, that's not…" Goku gave an exasperated sigh. He took in a breath, seemingly to calm his nerves. "I think you're really pretty, Bulma. I've always thought you were pretty," Goku said, more nervously. Bulma's spirit began to lift again at that. "When I see you, I get a weird feeling in my stomach. Like…"

"Like butterflies?" Bulma asked, hoping with every fiber of her being.

"Yeah! Like butterflies! That's exactly what I meant!" Goku's smile became fully genuine, and a warm laugh escaped from him. _I could listen to his laugh all day_, Bulma thought. "You always know what I'm trying to say, even when I'm not good at saying what I mean! That's why I…" Goku paused, taking a moment to gather his words. "I need you, Bulma."

Goku looked seriously at Bulma, and she could see the awkwardness, fear and anxiety inside him, but there was also something there Bulma had never seen before: desire. She felt her cheeks grow hot and her breath stop at the look Goku was giving her. _It's almost… animalistic…_ A shiver ran down her spine.

In a flash, that desire had morphed into a deeper, more complex need. "You know me so well," Goku said. "You understand me like no one else does. Not even Master Roshi and Krillin. When you aren't around, I feel lost and lonely, Bulma. It's like a part of me is missing."

"Goku…" she whispered, reaching out her hands to take his.

He grasped her hands tightly in his, and seemed ready to say something else, but turned his face away in shame. "I'm sorry, Bulma. You probably think I'm just being really dumb, saying all this stuff. You're older than me, smarter than me. All I know how to do is fight. What could you possibly find interesting in a guy like me..."

Bulma reached out her left hand and placed it on Goku's cheek, gently turning him to face her. "No, it's okay Goku. I… I feel the same way about you." She saw his eyes open in surprise, sparkling with the energy she had always found so appealing, so invigorating. She smiled brightly. "Without you, my life is too quiet, too boring. I've just started understanding what I've felt for a long time, but when I traveled with you, those were the happiest days of my life."

A part of Bulma started screaming at her to pull back. _Don't let yourself get hurt_, it said. _You can't say what you feel_. Another part was telling Bulma to just get it over with and kiss him already. Bulma realized this situation was quickly spiraling out of control, and could lead to significant pain and heartache for both of them if she couldn't control her emotions. _I need to say how I feel, but… what _do_ I feel_?

Now, it was Goku's turn to whisper. "Bulma, I…"

Bulma kept speaking, needing to regain control of conversation. _And myself_, she thought. "I've only just started trying to wrap my head around these feelings, Goku." She gave him a reassuring smile. "You're my oldest and dearest friend, and you have grown into an incredibly handsome man."

She saw Goku's expression curl into one of puzzlement. He started to open his mouth to speak, but Bulma placed one finger on his lips before he could. "Wait, Goku. Please, let me finish." Goku nodded his head slightly in assent.

Bulma took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "You are so important to me," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like if I had never met you."

She saw Goku give a shudder. "I don't want to imagine that either," he said.

She brought her hand back down to hold his. "When you aren't around, I feel…" She paused, looking for precisely the right word. "Empty, incomplete even." She closed her eyes, trying to calm her heart, which was still beating a furious pattern. "But I'm also afraid. I'm afraid that if this doesn't work, if _we_ don't work, it could hurt the friendship we already have." Her eyes reopened, and saw his dark, warm eyes filled a remarkable certainty.

"I'm afraid of that too, Bulma," he said tenderly. His voice betrayed absolutely no sound of fear, nor the doubt and nervousness that had previously filled it. "But, last night, Yamcha said that not acting on these feelings and letting them linger could do almost as much damage as us trying and it not working." A pleading expression passed over his face, and he spoke in a soft voice. "I don't want _that_ either, Bulma."

Bulma could feel a wry smile come over her face. _I should have know Yamcha was involved in this somehow_. "That sounds like Yamcha all right." She gave a sigh. "And you know what? He's probably right." _He's definitely right_, she thought in the back of her mind. She gave Goku's hand a quick reassuring squeeze. "Goku, I may not know exactly what these feelings I have for you are. But I want to get the chance to find out."

Goku's eyes went wide with anticipation. "So, what does that mean?" he asked, almost bouncing with the excitement of a child about to open presents on Christmas morning.

Bulma giggled at his youthful exuberance. "You goofball! It _means_ I want to go out with you!" She gave him a playful shove to the shoulder, then shifted her body around to wrap her arm around his muscular shoulders, snuggling into him. "We can spend time together, just the two of us. Maybe go to a movie, or get dinner together."

"Ooh! Dinner!" Goku exclaimed, his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her in closer. "I like the sound of that one!"

Bulma laughed. _Some things will never change_. "It does sound nice, doesn't it!" A tone of playfully judicious authority entered her voice. "It's decided then! After the tournament, why don't we go get dinner somewhere? Just you and me!"

"Sounds great!"

"Great!"

A moment of quiet passed over the visitor area as the pair simply held one another close. Unlike the previous silence, this one was content, full of hope and expectation. Bulma's heart began to slowly settle back into a rhythm, as she felt Goku's strong arms around her. _It still feels a little strange_, she thought with a deep, contented sigh. _But also... quite perfect_.

It was Goku who broke the silence. "So, Bulma?" he said, a slightly pensive tone in his voice. "Can I ask you a question now?"

Bulma smiled at Goku. "Of course, Goku, go right ahead."

"What does _handsome_ mean?"

After a moment of disbelieving silence, Bulma's laughter could be heard echoing throughout the entire temple grounds.

* * *

_Revised A/N: After taking some time to consider things (and a very helpful review from Lord Tyrannus!), I decided that the previous end of this chapter took the Gobul romance a little too quickly. So, I quickly wrote up this alternate ending. You need to earn the kind of dramatic declaration of love I had in the previous version, and I just haven't earned it yet. The next thing you see from me will be Chapter 5, **Best Served Cold**! See you all soon!_

_PS: Speaking of Lord Tyrannus, if anyone is looking for another good fanfiction based on MasakoX's What-Ifs, go check out his fic **Dragon Ball G&K. **It's based on my third favorite Masako What-If, "What if Gine Went to Earth with Kakarot?" Like mine, it's still in the early phases, but his writing is very good!_


	5. Best Served Cold

**Chapter 5 - Best Served Cold**

Goku had never truly known the meaning of the word "peace" until this moment.

He always felt an insatiable need to act, to move forward, to be active. Even while meditating, he struggled to fully clear his mind; it was always considering his next step, his next adventure, his next _meal_.

But sitting on the couch in the visitation area, with Bulma curled up into his side, he wasn't thinking about the future. He was focused entirely on how pleasant it was to feel her body next to his.

_It's been a long time since we cuddled like this,_ Goku recalled. The two had often huddled together for warmth during their numerous adventures together, when the nights in the wilderness turned bitterly cold. _I forgot how nice it is._

This time was different, though. Now, he felt as their breath slowly matched rate, and how her head nestled into chest. He laid his head on Bulma's, and her hair began to tickle his chin. He inhaled deeply, and the soft scent of lilacs filled his nose. _Her shampoo smells so nice…_ he thought, his mind drifting into a peaceful rest.

It felt like he was where he was meant to be.

"So, Goku?" Bulma asked, quietly.

"Yeah, Bulma?"

"I guess I should let you get back to the tournament, huh?"

Goku nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess I should go," he said. He looked up at the ceiling momentarily, not quite willing to break their embrace. "So, does this mean I'm your... what did you call it, again? Boyfriend?"

Bulma laughed again, the sound like music in Goku's ears. "I hadn't precisely thought about it like that," she said, the laughter still coloring her voice, "but, yeah. I think it does. And I'm your girlfriend!"

"My girlfriend," Goku said, getting used to the phrase. "My _girlfriend. My_ girlfriend." He smiled and looked back down at her, an enormous grin on his face. "I think that sounds nice!"

The two shared another giggle, when the subtle sound of someone clearing their throat forced them to acknowledge the presence of someone else beside them. The security guard had returned, and he told Bulma that her five minutes were up.

Bulma regretfully broke away from Goku's embrace, and Goku immediately felt incomplete without her next to him.

Bulma quickly bent over and gave Goku a kiss on the cheek, and Goku could feel an energy pass through him. She whispered in his ear, "Kick ass out there, okay? I want my _boyfriend_ to make me proud!"

Goku smiled. "You bet, Bulma!" He gave her a peace symbol as an affirmative, rubbing his hand to the back of his head. _Why did I do that_? he thought sheepishly. _That's… totally embarrassing…_

But Bulma smiled, her blue eyes twinkling as she turned away to walk back out of the visitation area. Goku watched her leave, feeling both invigorated and sad at the same time. He couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of her body as she walked away, her hips swaying seductively.

He wasn't sure, but he felt like she knew he was watching, and was purposely walking that way for him. She turned to give one last look back at him, her eyes still twinkling with mischief as she winked at him. Then, she was out the door.

Once she was out of sight, Goku gave a sigh. _Well, back to the tournament, _he thought. _Man, I sure didn't expect the first battle to lead to something so… life-changing!_

His mind went back through the events of the last 20 minutes or so. _I still can't believe that it was Chi-Chi I was fighting!_ he thought. He could remember the girl well enough… he just could not for the life of him remember that he promised to marry her! _I mean, to be fair, even if I did, I did _not _know what it was. I learned _that _from Mr. Popo, when he taught me the rest of the stuff about sex._

He had felt absolutely awful at the way Chi-Chi had looked after the match. _I don't like seeing anyone hurt like that…_ But he couldn't be anything but honest with her. The last words she had said to him had been, "_Please, Goku, don't break my heart_..."

_That hurt badly_, _knowing that I couldn't do anything but break it_.

Then, she had kissed his cheek, much as Bulma just had. But when Chi-Chi did it, he had felt nothing. No spark of energy, no thrill running through his body. _Chi-Chi looked into my eyes, _he thought, _looking to see my reaction._ She had found none. _That was when she knew, I think._ He had watched as the last glimmer of hope had vanished from her eyes. He had felt a twinge of sorrow for her, but nothing more.

His feelings for Bulma were simply too strong for anything more.

At the time, a part of him considered the possibility that he might be breaking Chi-Chi's heart for nothing. But Yamcha's words had begun spinning in his head. Yamcha had been so certain that Bulma was interested in him, and Goku trusted his friend's instincts. _And he was absolutely right!_

A thought ran through his mind. _I should tell Yamcha! He'll be so excited!_

Goku ran back into the fighters' waiting area, looking for his former bandit friend. As he glanced around, he finally found him. He took a quick step towards him, but stopped as he saw who Yamcha was speaking with.

It was Chi-Chi. The two seemed to be having a very pleasant discussion. A weight seemed to lift off Goku's heart a bit at that sight.

Yamcha was a very empathetic person. No doubt he saw how much Chi-Chi was hurting after her rejection. _Good,_ Goku thought. _Hopefully, he'll do what I couldn't, and blunt the blow a bit…_

He saw the between-match festivities were almost over. Tien was standing by the entrance to the ring, stretching, preparing for his match against his former master's brother. _This one's going to be personal,_ Goku knew.

Goku glanced over at the rigid form of Tao Pai-Pai, who was smiling wolfishly at Tien, and felt a knot of anger deep in his belly. _That _bastard _shouldn't be alive,_ he thought. It was rare for Goku to feel this level of hatred for another person, but Tao had certainly done enough to earn it. _He murdered Bora_, Goku thought, _and _tried _to murder me._

His mind flashed to the battered and bloody form of Chiaotzu after Tao had savagely beaten him, and Goku could feel his rage building again. He remembered Tao's words after.

_He's here because Tien and Chiaotzu abandoned the Crane School_, Goku thought, sighing internally. _We should have known that Master Shen wouldn't take that lying down_. Shen, according to everything Goku had heard from Master Roshi, Tien, and Chiaotzu, was supremely petty, capable of holding a grudge for decades.

_I'm sure I've earned a bit of a grudge myself. After all, I'm the one who turned Tien against his master_.

Goku walked over to Tien, wanting to judge how Tien was handling things. _I know Tien has a tendency to get emotional_, Goku thought, _especially when it comes to Chiaotzu._ The psychic was like a little brother to the three-eyed warrior. Chiaotzu had often been treated poorly because of his physical condition, and Tien had protected him for years. _Tao knows that. That's why he was so brutal in his attack._

Goku didn't want his friend going into this fight distracted or out-of-control emotionally. _Against an opponent like Tao, that could be fatal. _Goku had no doubt that Tao cared little for the restriction against killing blows.

As Goku approached, Tien turned to look at his friend. "I don't need a lecture right now, Goku."

A sheepish expression came over Goku's face. "What I was going to say was that obvious, huh?"

"Yeah." Tien closed all three of his eyes. "I know, he's gonna try to get in my head, use my emotions against me." His eyes opened, and Goku saw an absolute certainty he had never seen there before. "Don't worry, I'm ready for it."

"You sure? You were pretty furious at him in the preliminaries…"

Tien gave a brief, barking laugh, a bitter edge within it. "Oh, trust me. I'm still plenty angry." His eyes narrowed, and his voice grew deadly quiet. "But it won't control me. He's getting his ass handed to him, and I'll show the world just how pathetic the Crane School really is."

Goku put a hand on Tien's shoulder. "Just… don't lose yourself, okay Tien? And be careful." Goku gave a bitter smile, the image of a grenade flashing through his mind. "Take it from me, Tao doesn't deal with losing very well."

"Believe me Goku, I know exactly what you mean."

The gong sounded, revealing it was time for the match to begin. The announcer's voice piped through the system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for our second match! It is a showdown of two masters of the Crane School of martial arts! First out is a first time entrant to the Tenkaichi Budokai, a warrior with a shadowy past and the brother of the founder of the Crane School! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Tao Pai-Pai!"

Goku watched as Tao walked silently out to the ring. _It's time_, he thought, letting his hand drop from Tien's shoulder, and he stepped back.

Goku bowed to his friend. "Good luck out there."

Tien briefly bowed back. "Thanks."

The announcer's voice resumed his call. "And this warrior will face none other than his brother's former top pupil, a man well-known to anyone who watched the last thrilling tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the ring our defending champion, Tien Shinhan!"

Tien turned and walked out into the ring as the crowd roared its approval. _Funny_, Goku thought. _Tien was the hated villain at the last tournament, and now they love him._ Tien had certainly earned that moniker three years ago, Goku had to admit.

_But this Tien is not the same man who competed here._

For as long as Goku had known Tien Shinhan, a bubbling rage had existed within him. That rage gave Tien incredible strength, but it was also his greatest weakness.

No doubt, that rage had been stirred and cultivated for years by his former master. _Far easier to make someone kill when they're angry_, Goku thought.

But there was a measure of calm to Tien today. Goku didn't feel that nearly unrestrained fury roiling underneath the three-eyed warrior.

_Something's changed for Tien_. _I'm not sure what it is, but he just seems more at peace with himself. _

Goku could still feel surface anger coming from his friend, but it was just that: all on the surface.

As Tien took his place opposite Tao, Goku looked out into the crowd. He could see his friends in their front row seats. Bulma had already returned, and was cheering for Tien. Goku smiled at the sight of her. He could see Oolong and Puar as well, and they were every bit as vocal. He saw Master Roshi, carefully examining Tien. _He senses the same thing I do,_ Goku figured. Finally, he saw Launch. She was in her peaceful form, and the look on her face was surprising to Goku.

She seemed… _angry_. Angry, and perhaps a little sad.

Goku was confused by this. _Why would Launch be upset to see Tien? Everyone else seems to have started getting along with him…_

He made a mental note to ask Yamcha or Krillin about it later. Tien was an intensely private person, so Goku doubted he would be particularly forthcoming. _And Launch won't be of much help, either_. If she was in her blue-haired form, she would likely just dismiss it, or pretend it didn't happen. And if she were in her blonde-haired form…

Goku shuddered. _Yeesh. Yeah, I'm not going anywhere_ near _that version to ask why she's angry! I'm liable to get shot at!_

Goku's gaze turned back to the ring. Both men had taken their positions in the ring, forgoing the traditional bow of respect.

The crowd murmured at that. _Neither man has respect for the other_, Goku thought, his focus lasered on his friend. _Don't let him goad you into becoming your old self, Tien…_

The men entered remarkably similar stances, the neutral position of the Crane School.

"Fighters ready!" called the announcer. "Let the match… BEGIN!"

The gong sounded.

Neither man moved.

Several moments passed, and neither Tien nor Tao moved a muscle. Goku saw a wicked smile on Tao's face, while Tien's was a passive mask. _Mind games_, Goku realized. _Tao is trying to test Tien's patience._

The moments stretched to more than a minute. The crowd began to grow restless at the lack of action. Even the announcer seemed frustrated. "Will someone please DO SOMETHING?!"

As the silence overwhelmed the stadium, Goku could feel two figures walk up beside him. "Do you think Tien can keep it under control, Goku?" Yamcha asked.

Goku looked over at his old friend, who was accompanied by Chi-Chi. Her eyes met Goku's for a moment, and a flash of guilt passed through him. _At some point, I'll need to clear the air with her. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that yet._

Responding to the question, Goku nodded to Yamcha. "Yeah. I actually do. Something's changed in Tien."

Yamcha gave a slightly confused look to Goku. "Changed how?"

"I can't quite explain it, but he just seems more at peace than I've ever seen him before."

An inscrutable look passed over Yamcha's face at that. "Wonder why that could be," he said.

As the trio looked on, the tension finally reached a boiling point, as the fans began to voice their arduous disapproval of the lack of action, booing vociferously.

Tao gave a small, cruel laugh. "I'm not sure if I'm impressed at your patience, or bored by your passiveness. Really, Tien? I was expecting so much more! Where's the anger, the fury? Didn't you promise me you'd make me pay? Or has the Turtle Hermit's inane drivel about 'training for peace' made you as soft as the rest of his students?"

Tien took a deep breath in. "Trying to get into my head, Tao? It's not going to work this time. I've changed."

Tao gave another laugh. "Have you now? Well, isn't that special? The little brat all grown up and acting like a man." His eyes focused hard on Tien's, his smile turning wicked. "But I know the truth, Tien Shinhan. Deep down, you still feel exactly the same as you did then, don't you? You know you deserve everything my brother and I did."

Tien's back straightened, but his face remained impassive. "You can't hurt me with that any more Tao. I've let it go. I accept everything about myself."

Goku's eyes narrowed in confusion. _Let it go? Let what go?_

"Ah, but what about your friends? Do they accept you? Or do they just see the mask?"

Goku whispered to Yamcha. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

Yamcha shook his head. "Not a damn clue," he whispered back.

Goku didn't understand what Tao meant, but it was clear that Tien did. His impassive mask began to show anger. _He's starting to hit a nerve now. _Goku's heart began beating faster as the tension grew. _Keep cool, Tien._

Tao continued his mocking. "You haven't told them, have you? If you were truly "over it", you'd have told them everything wouldn't you? Admit it! You're still the same scared little boy who was driven out by his tribe and family!"

Goku could see Tien's jaw clenching. _It's taking everything he has to keep in control._

"Now that I think about it, you really do belong with the Turtle Hermit and his band of freaks," Tao said, disdain filling every word. "You _and_ your midget friend."

Tien's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh, no. He pushed the Chiaotzu button…" Yamcha said.

Goku couldn't help but agree. _He shouldn't have done that. This might turn really bad, really quick..._

"His name is Chiaotzu, and don't you _dare_ speak of him," Tien growled.

"If the little freak is so important, why don't you come over here and shut me up?"

Tien tensed, seemingly ready to try just that. Instead, he lowered his arms out of his fighting stance, his eyes closing in an attempt to control his emotions. "Pathetic."

"What was that?!"

Tien's eyes opened, a look resembling pity in them. "I used to fear you and your words, Tao. Not anymore. The fact that you aren't attacking me physically tells me everything I need to know. You're the one who's afraid."

Goku smiled slightly. _He saw through it, and kept his cool. Tien _has _changed_.

Tao audibly scoffed at the notion. "Me, afraid of someone as pathetic as you?!"

"I knew it the moment I saw you. You've never understood true strength. The strength from within. I have friends, now. Friends who I know will be there for me, who will accept me. Who will help me shoulder my burdens, and cover my weaknesses. But you? You are alone with your bitterness and your anger." Tien's eyes narrowed, focused fully on the assassin. "You _will_ pay for everything you've done Tao, just as I promised. But it won't be through pain."

Tao's smug smile never wavered. "Oh, really? If not through pain, then how?"

A wan smile appeared on Tien's face. "I'll prove you don't matter. Never have, never will." Tien began walking toward Tao. "You are of no consequence, Tao. And you are beneath me."

At that, Goku saw something snap in Tao. "_YOU ARROGANT LITTLE BASTARD!"_ he shouted, throwing a vicious punch at his former protege.

Tien barely moved, just rolling his head slightly to avoid the blow. Lightning quick, Tien grabbed onto Tao's arm. Twisting it around, Tien maneuvered himself behind Tao, who shouted in pain. And then, something amazing happened.

Tien simply began escorting Tao out of the ring. He walked him slowly toward the edge of the ring like a parent might lead a naughty child out of a store.

Tao struggled vainly against the vise-grip Tien had upon his arm, and the crowd began speaking in amazed tones as the spectacle played out. Goku could hear laughter and cheering from the pair beside him, as well.

Goku's smile grew wider. _He's hurting Tao's pride in a way that he may never recover from. Well done, Tien!_

As the fighters reached the edge, however, something shifted. Goku barely had time to register as Tao broke his arm free from Tien's grip. _Wait, no! His arm _came off_! What the hell?_

In a flash, Tao spun, striking with the now stumped forearm. A glint of metal shone as he struck with lightning speed.

Tien staggered back, a long slashing wound in his chest. His eyes were wide in shock, and Goku could feel his own eyes narrow in anger as his smile turned into a scowl.

_Damn you, Tao!_ _You coward!_

Tao stood near the edge of the ring, his arm replaced by a long, razor-sharp blade. The edge of the blade dripped crimson blood on the ring below.

The crowd began to boo vigorously at the assassin.

"Tao has used a weapon against his opponent within the ring!" The announcer shouted loudly over the cacophony. "Tao has been disqualified!"

Tao began to laugh, the sound carrying no warmth or joy. He brought the blade up to his face, and licked Tien's blood off the edge. "Do you actually think I care about your pathetic rules?! I came here for one reason: to kill Tien Shinhan and Son Goku! No one embarrasses the Crane School and lives to tell about it!"

Tien stood tall, barely reacting to long mark in his chest. "Tao, you are even more of a coward than I expected. But I shouldn't have expected any more from you. You have no honor!"

Tao pointed his blade directly at his foe. "The devil take your honor, and shove it up your ass!"

Tao charged at Tien, preparing to drive the blade into the three-eyed warrior's heart. With a casualness that belied his speed, Tien side-stepped the strike, and followed with a strike of his own to the blade. The deadly weapon shattered into a million pieces.

A fierce smile came to Goku's face. _Impressive!_

"Holy shit!" he heard Yamcha exclaim beside him.

"He's so fast!" Chi-Chi said, wonderingly.

Tao staggered to his knees after the strike, unbalanced. Tien stood calmly and turned to face his opponent. "It's over Tao. It's _been_ over since the moment you stepped into the ring with me. Give up, and walk away. It's the only way this ends with you keeping any shred of dignity you have left."

"Give up?" Tao said, a dangerous mockery in his voice. "Oh, no Tien. There's no way I'd ever surrender to someone like you." He turned to face Tien. "But you are right about one thing: this fight _is_ over!"

Tao suddenly detached his other arm, revealing what looked to Goku to be a cannon of some sort.

"Are you kidding me!?" Yamcha exclaimed beside him. "What else does this guy have? A blender in his chest?! A rocket launcher for a leg?!"

"Don't give him ideas, Yamcha," Chi-Chi replied dryly.

Tao laughed maniacally, a fearsome yellow glow beginning to fill the cannon. "Prepare to die, Tien Shinhan! This cannon is my Super Dodon Ray! My brother and I designed it just for you! This takes the already deadly Dodon Ray technique, and magnifies it's power tenfold! There's no way anyone can survive it!" He licked his lips disturbingly. "And once it's locked on, there's no escaping it! You're already doomed!"

"TIEN!" Yamcha shouted, preparing to rush to the ring to help his friend.

Goku held out his arm to stop Yamcha. "Yamcha, don't," he said. His eyes remained focused on the two warriors in the ring. "This is Tien's battle. He _needs_ to do this on his own. If he doesn't, it might haunt him forever."

"But, Goku!"

"Don't worry, Yamcha." Goku said, a smile passing over his face. "I think Tien has this well in hand."

Goku's focus was on his friend in the ring, who showed no sign of fear or nervousness. He simply stood, his eyes fixed on Tao. He made no effort to dodge, or to move at all. Goku's face scrunched into a thoughtful grimace.

_But, what are you planning, Tien?_

"Ha! Not even trying to escape?! Are you paralyzed by fear, or do you simply recognize the inevitable?! Either way, this is the end for you! SUPER DODON RAY!"

An enormous blast of light and heat erupted from Tao's cannon. The heat was so intense that Goku could feel it from where he was standing.

Goku could hear gasps coming from Yamcha and Chi-Chi at the sheer, staggering size of the attack. The crowd roared in fear, and those standing behind Tien began to run in a blind panic, certain that the blast would carry past the defending champion, and into their position.

Tien remained motionless despite the chaos as the attack moved toward him. As it was just about to strike, Tien gave an enormous shout that drowned out all other sound within the stadium. Within that sound, Goku could feel a massive outpouring of _ki_. The sound echoed off the buildings for miles around, and Goku could feel a slight ringing in his ears.

As the shout impacted the Super Dodon Ray, the blast dissipated into nothing. In an instant, it was as if nothing had happened.

Goku gave a low whistle. _Wow. Was not expecting him to pull that move out of his bag already._ Kame had explained to Goku how the _kiai_ worked, but Goku had never imagined Tien could have mastered it to that level. _Man, I cannot wait to go up against him!_

If Tao still had human eyes, Goku had no doubt they would be wide with shock and terror. Tao stumbled back several steps. "But… how?! That's imposs…!"

He never got the chance to finish. In a flash, Tien charged forward and struck a single blow to Tao's midsection. The assassin stood for a handful of moments, gasping for breath, then sank to the ground unconscious. The crowd was remarkably silent.

Tien stood for a moment over his fallen opponent, then turned to the announcer. "Get him out of the ring. He doesn't even deserve to lay in it."

Tien turned back towards the ring entrance, leaving Tao in a crumpled heap.

"Well, folks, since Tao was disqualified, Tien Shinhan is the winner! Let's give him a big round of applause!"

As Tien walked back in to waiting area, Goku met his eyes. Goku smiled and nodded to his friend.

Tien's stern face slowly shifted to a smile as well, and he put a hand on Goku's arm. Neither man spoke. No words were needed to express their feelings about what was to come.

_We'll finally have our rematch_, Goku thought, the idea filling him with excitement. Outside of Piccolo, there was no fighter Goku more wanted to face in this tournament than Tien. _We were so evenly matched three years ago. It'll be fun to see how far we've come!_

Tien continued to walk further into the waiting room, taking a position near Krillin, who quickly spoke in excited tones with Tien.

Yamcha gave Goku a quick smile, then went to join the pair to congratulate Tien on his victory.

Leaving Goku alone with Chi-Chi. _Oh, no…_

For a few moments, an awkward silence sat between the two. Finally, Goku broke the silence. "Chi-Chi, I'm… uh… I'm sorry I forgot about saying I was going to marry you…"

Chi-Chi's eyes met Goku's. He could still see pain and sadness in them, but there was an understanding there as well. She sighed deeply, looking away from him. "No, Goku. _I'm_ sorry. Coming here like this, it wasn't fair of me. I should have known all of this was just a child's fantasy."

"Well, even so, I still feel bad, ya know? You seem really nice! And we had fun together as kids. I just…"

Chi-Chi smiled wanly. "You just really like Bulma. I know."

Goku smiled at Chi-Chi. "Yeah, I really do!"

Chi-Chi's eyes brightened, her smile becoming more and more genuine by the moment. "You and your friends… it's amazing to watch. How did you all grow so powerful?"

Goku shrugged. "Well, it just kinda happened, I guess. We've all pushed one another to become stronger and stronger. Along with a few things outside our control…"

"Like King Piccolo," Chi-Chi interrupted.

Goku gave a quick nod, glancing toward the still form of Piccolo, who sat cross-legged at the back of the room. His eyes were closed in meditation.

"I remember that time, you know," Chi-Chi whispered.

"Yeah," Goku said wearily. "It was pretty scary."

"I don't think you know the half of it," Chi-Chi said, her voice almost shaking. "My dad was once viewed as one of the strongest warriors on the planet, Goku…"

Goku's heart skipped a beat. _Oh, Kami. Did her dad…_ "What happened?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"When my dad realized what was happening, we ran. We left everything we owned behind, doing our best to remain out of sight of King Piccolo's minions."

Goku let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding. _Thank Kami. Then the Ox-King must be okay..._

"For months, we barely dared to leave our hiding places, terrified that King Piccolo would hunt us down. So many nights, I went to bed hungry, because we were too afraid to go out and get food." She paused, tears beginning to arise at the memory. "Then, we'd hear King Piccolo's servants were in the area, and we'd have run again, terrified every step of the way. You can't possibly understand how awful it was, Goku."

Chi-Chi looked up at Goku, a sad wonder in her eyes. "And then, we heard the news. King Piccolo was dead, and the man who killed him was Son Goku, the man who promised to marry me one day."

Goku's eyes opened wide in understanding. "Ah. That would explain a lot."

"Yeah, I think that was the moment when my feelings went from childhood crush to… obsession."

Chi-Chi turned away from Goku. "I told my father that I wanted to train, to become a great fighter too, so that I might catch your eye. And failing that, I might beat some sense into you!"

She turned back to him. "Ironic that the one who needed sense beaten into them was me."

Goku had no idea how to respond to that. A silence was cast over the pair. _What might have been, _Goku thought, looking at the girl. _If I didn't know how Bulma felt… maybe…_

He stopped that train of thought quickly. _No use in imagining. What's done is done. And I _do _know Bulma cares about me, and I care about her, too._

"Goku?" Chi-Chi asked, hesitantly.

Goku returned his attention to the young woman at his side. "Yeah?"

"Did you really mean what you said before? That you'd like to fight me again someday?"

Goku smiled broadly. _Finally, talking about some that I'm comfortable with! _"Oh, yeah! Definitely! You're really strong!"

Chi-Chi blushed, embarrassed. "But you beat me so easily…"

"Well, there were a couple of flaws in your techniques I could take advantage of." Goku gave Chi-Chi a thumb's up. "A bit of training, and those would go away no problem!"

Chi-Chi smiled at Goku, then closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "Okay! I've decided then!"

Goku's eyebrow raised in interest. "Oh? Decided what?"

Chi-Chi's eyes opened, a look of determination and contentment within them. "Can I stay with you guys, and start training the way you all do? I'd like to be friends with you all!"

Goku laughed excitedly. "Sure! There's always room for more friends!"

Chi-Chi shared in Goku's laughter. "Shall we go congratulate Tien as well?"

"Yeah. Lead the way!"

As Chi-Chi began walking toward the group, Goku felt a warm feeling inside him. _Well, another day, another new friend!_ he thought, excited at the prospect.

Goku began to follow Chi-Chi, but he sensed a piercing gaze upon him. When he turned to find their source, he suddenly found himself looking into the eyes of Hero, the non-descript warrior who would face off with Yamcha next. But in those eyes, Goku saw a cunning, dangerous mind. The figure gave Goku a subtle nod of the head before beginning to make his way toward the entrance ramp, as his fight was next on the card.

_That guy… There's something I can't quite place_, Goku thought.

Goku made his way over to his friends, the odd feeling passing by. As he did, Goku didn't notice the fierce grin that grew over Hero's face.

"Soon, Goku, I'll get to see what you are truly capable of..."

* * *

_A/N: One thing that has absolutely stood out to me as I re-watch the Piccolo Jr. Saga is just how _smart _Goku is throughout it. He figures out Hero's identity from just watching one fight, he analyzes Tien's techniques and deduces the weaknesses of them almost instantly, and he outsmarts and out-maneuvers Piccolo, the guy we come to view as the best tactical mind of the Z-Fighters in Dragon Ball Z, throughout pretty much the entirety of their fight. While the two seem pretty equal in power, Goku is a step or two ahead of Piccolo for the whole fight, until Piccolo sucker-punches him with the mouth beam. And even then, Goku has an ace up his sleeve. You know, I didn't think it was possible, but I am even _more _frustrated with Goku's characterization in Super after re-watching this saga. _

_If you enjoyed, please go ahead and drop me a review! I'm always looking for good feedback, so I appreciate a bit of constructive criticism as well! In the next chapter, Yamcha faces off against Hero, and the first big surprise of the story will be dropped! It's Chapter 6, __**The Wild Card**__! See everybody then!_


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